Exhibit 10.1

RETENTION AGREEMENT

This Agreement, entered into the 19 th  day of March, 2009, is between Toreador Resources Corporation (“Toreador”) and Charles Campise (“Employee”).

1.                                       Obligations of Toreador.   Toreador will offer Employee the Waiver, Release, and Separation from Employment Letter Agreement, attached hereto as Exhibit A, upon the date of Employee’s termination (currently scheduled for August 30, 2009); provided that the Employee has not voluntarily terminated his or her employment or been terminated for “Cause.”

2.                                       Obligations of Employee.   Employee agrees to work for Toreador until Toreador terminates Employee’s employment.  Toreador will not be obligated to offer Employee the Waiver, Release, and Separation from Employment Letter Agreement if Employee voluntarily resigns his/her employment with Toreador prior to the date that Toreador terminates Employee’s employment or if Employee is terminated for “Cause.”

3.                                       Definition of Cause.   For purposes of this Agreement, Employee’s termination will be for Cause if the Employee:

1)               Is convicted of a felony (as defined in the Texas Penal Code);

2)               Pleads guilty or no contest to a felony;

3)               Perpetrates fraud on, embezzles from, or breaches a fiduciary duty owed to Toreador;

4)               Commits a material violation of Toreador policy; or

5)               Engages in misconduct that results in material harm to Toreador.

4.                                       Changes to the Separation Benefits.  The Waiver, Release, and Separation from Employment Letter Agreement represents what you will be offered assuming that you do not voluntarily resign and are not terminated for Cause.  However, the Separation Benefits are subject to upward adjustment dependant upon the following:

a.                                        Change in Stock Price:   Toreador’s stock price as of February 19, 2009 was $2.47/share.  If Toreador’s stock price is below $2.22/share as of the date of your termination, the common stock grant of 129,000 shares will be revised so that you will receive an amount of shares equal to $318,630 divided by the Toreador stock price as of the date of your termination.

b.                                       Achievement of Milestones:   Listed below are four “Milestones” that, if achieved, would raise the total value of your Separation Benefits by $81,112.  At the Company’s sole option, this increase in value will be added to either your lump sum cash payment, your common stock grant, or some combination of cash payment and stock grants.  All of the Milestone’s must be achieved before June 30, 2009.  If, through no fault of the Employee’s, it is impossible to achieve any Milestone because the equipment and/or staff has not been put into place at the Paris, France office, the Milestone will be deemed achieved.