Legal Consultant  

Based in United Kingdom 

Carolyn Gilbert is a UK qualified lawyer with 30 years of experience, the first 10 years of which were spent with a City law firm specialising in construction contracts and construction litigation and the following 20 years with BP specialising in the oil and gas and energy sectors. 

 

Career Summary 

Carolyn started her oil and gas career with BP in the North Sea, gathering a wealth of experience supporting all of BP’s North Sea assets, from the offshore fields of the Northern (including East and West of Shetlands), the Central and the Southern North Sea to major North Sea transportation systems and onshore processing and terminal facilities.  Carolyn’s work encompassed the full suite of contracts used in North Sea asset operations, project developments, decommissioning, mergers and acquisitions and procurement and supply chain management.  She advised on environmental assessments, supported HSE investigations and played a leading role in the conduct of certain major pieces of commercial litigation. 

 

In 2012, as Managing Counsel for the North Sea, Carolyn led a team of lawyers in Aberdeen and Norway and became a member of the North Sea Regional Leadership Team.  In this capacity Carolyn undertook regulatory and compliance work including US Sanctions, EU regulatory compliance and export control licensing.  As Managing Counsel, she supported major M&A transactions and litigation matters.  In addition, Carolyn was engaged in several industry initiatives including the many new developments resulting from the establishment the UK Oil and Gas Authority. 

 
In 2016, as Assistant General Counsel Carolyn relocated to Azerbaijan to join BP’s Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Region (AGT) and became a member of the AGT Regional Leadership Team.  She supported the AGT business in its commercial arrangements for ongoing operations and its access to new business including potential renewables projects.  Carolyn worked on Production Sharing Agreements and the associated operating agreements for the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea; Transportation Agreements including in connection with the major Southern Gas Corridor running from Azerbaijan to Europe and Gas Sales Agreements. She supported procurement and supply chain management and engaged in a regulatory and compliance work including in connection with US and EU Sanctions.  Carolyn was part the AGT Regional Leadership Team as they collaborated and interacted with the state oil company SOCAR, partner stakeholder groups and representatives of the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, of Georgia and Turkey. 

 
Carolyn has proven experience of advising on a range of matters relating to hydrocarbon businesses spanning new access and business development involving UK North Sea licenses, Joint Bidding and Area of Mutual Interest Agreements, Sales and Purchase Agreements and Farmin/Farmout Agreements; production and operations including Joint Operating Agreements, Unit and Unitisation Agreements, Production Sharing Agreements, Transportation Agreements and Allocation and Attribution Agreements; projects requiring EIAs, Construction and Tie-In Agreements, Offtake Agreements, Gas Sales Agreements and Decommissioning arrangements; procurement and supply chain management including all of the major agreements such as Rig Contracts, Rig Sharing Agreements, Vessel Sharing Agreements and Engineering Procurement Construction and Management Agreements; US and EU Sanctions; and Dispute Resolution. 

   

 

 

Working History 

2000-2020      BP 

2016-2020      Assistant General Counsel, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey  

2012-2016      Managing Counsel North Sea 

2000-2012      Senior Counsel North Sea 

 

1989-1997       Solicitor, Denton Hall