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Carolyn A. Wright

Partner

403.260.5721
caw@bdplaw.com
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Education:

University of Calgary, Bachelor of Laws, 2003 York University, Master of Arts, Political Science, 1994 Queen's University, Bachelor of Arts, Honours, Politics, 1992 Bar admission: Alberta 2004

Industries:

Government and Not For Profit, Oil and gas, Power, Renewables and energy transition

Practice areas:

Commercial agreements, Corporate reorganizations, Energy, Joint ventures and other business combinations, Infrastructure and project development, Mergers, acquisitions and other strategic transactions, Regulatory, environmental and Indigenous-Related Legal Issues

Experience

Carolyn's focus is on:

Energy and commercial transactions

Oil & gas transactions
Commercial agreements pertaining generally to the oil & gas sector
Commercial and corporate reorganizations and restructurings
Energy project developments, including partnerships, joint ventures and other business combinations for both conventional and unconventional resources

Aboriginal law

Negotiation and preparation of Impact Benefits and Participation Agreements in the energy and oil & gas sector
Negotiation and preparation of various commercial agreements involving First Nations and Industry proponents.
Advice on corporate governance matters for First Nations owned businesses.
Negotiation and preparation of Joint Venture Agreements for First Nations in the energy, oil & gas and communications sectors
Advice to First Nations on advantageous business structures, including general partnerships, limited partnerships and non-profit entities

Professional involvement

Carolyn is the leader of BD&P's energy and project development group and a member of the Executive Committee. She is also:

Director, Canadian Energy Law Foundation, President, 2013-2014 and Chair of the 2012 Jasper Seminar
Panelist, Canadian Energy Law Foundation Energy Fundamentals Seminar, Canmore, Alberta, 2013
Course Instructor in Rights of First Refusal, Canadian Association of Professional Landmen

Professional associations

Member, Law Society of Alberta
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Calgary Bar Association
Past Chair, Alberta Branch of the Canadian Bar Association Natural Resources Section

Presentations

Carolyn has also presented at various conferences, panels, seminars, and other events, including:

Risky Business: When insolvency strikes, what do you do?, Canadian Bar Association Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA), May 2019
Dealing with Defunct Vendors Post-Redwater, BD&P Client Seminar, May 2019
Redwater-The Responsibility for the End of Life Environmental Obligations, CBA Environmental, Energy & Resources Law Summit, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 2018
The AER and Asset Transfers: What You Need to Know Before, During & After Insolvency, Association of Corporate Counsel Alberta, June 2016
Risky Business: Protecting Against Counterparty Default and Insolvency Risk, BD&P Client Seminar, March 2015
What in the World is a ROFR?: An Introduction to Pre-emptive Rights, at the Canadian Energy Law Foundation Energy Fundamentals Seminar, Canmore, Alberta, February 2014

Representative work

Tourmaline Oil Corp.'s $205 million acquisition of assets from Saguaro Resources Ltd.

Counsel to Tourmaline Oil Corp. in the $205 million strategic acquisition of 50% of the assets of Saguaro Resources Ltd. in the Laprise-Conroy North Montney area of British Columbia. The companies entered into a joint venture agreement to develop the assets, with Tourmaline operating the joint venture and related facilities.

Headwater Exploration Inc.'s acquisition of Cenovus Energy Inc.'s Marten Hills assets

Counsel to Headwater Exploration Inc. in the $100 million acquisition of Cenovus Energy Inc.'s Marten Hills upstream assets. The transaction comprised $35 million in cash, $50 million common shares of Headwater Exploration Inc. and $15 million purchase warrants.

Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission crude by rail project

Counsel to the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission in connection with the Alberta Government's publicly announced 120,000 bbls/d, $3.7 billion crude by rail (CBR) initiative for the transportation of Alberta crude oil by rail car to markets in the U.S. and Canada.

NuVista Energy Ltd.'s $419 million strategic equity financings

Counsel to Nuvista Energy Ltd. in a $214 million private placement of subscription receipts, and a concurrent $170 million prospectus offering of subscription receipts for proceeds of $384 million, as well as in the private placement of $35 million in common shares.

MEG Energy Corp.'s $1.5 billion asset disposition

Counsel to MEG in the $1.5 billion disposition of a 50% interest in Access Pipeline and 100% interest in Stonefell Terminal to Wolf Midstream Inc.

Spur Resources Ltd.'s $407 million acquisition

Counsel to Spur Resources Ltd. in the $407.5 million acquisition by Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd.

Tourmaline Oil Corp.'s $1.3 billion acquisition of energy assets

Counsel to Tourmaline Oil Corp. in the $1.37 billion acquisition of strategic assets located in the Alberta Deep Basin and the north east British Columbia Gundy area from Shell Canada Energy.

Freehold Royalties Ltd.'s royalty and land acquisition

Counsel to Freehold Royalties Ltd. in the $165 million acquisition of royalty production and lands from Husky Energy Inc.

Murphy Oil Canada Ltd.'s disposition of natural gas assets in British Columbia

Counsel to Murphy Oil Canada Ltd., Canadian subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation, in the $538 million disposition of the Tupper Main and Tupper West gas plants and associated pipelines in northeastern British Columbia to Enbridge G and P Canada Limited Partnership, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc.

Freehold Royalties Ltd. $321 million royalties' acquisition

Counsel to Freehold Royalties Ltd. in the $321 million acquisition of two royalty packages from Penn West Petroleum Ltd.

Tourmaline Oil Corp.'s Peace River High joint venture

Counsel to Tourmaline Oil Corp. in the $500 million Peace River High sale to and joint venture with Canadian Non-Operated Resources LP.

Athabasca Oil Corporation's sale of Dover Oil Sands Project

Counsel to Athabasca in the $1.18 billion sale of its 40% interest in the Dover oil sands project to Phoenix Energy Holdings Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroChina International Investment Limited.

Encana Corporation's joint venture to develop Duvernay lands

Counsel to Encana Corporation (now Ovintiv Inc.) in the $2.18 billion acquisition by Phoenix Duvernay Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroChina International Investment Company Limited, of a 49.9% interest in Encana's Duvernay natural gas play in West Central Alberta; at the same time, a joint venture was formed between Encana and Phoenix to develop the properties.

Crescent Point Energy Corp.'s $640 million acquisition

Counsel to Wild Stream Exploration Inc. in the $640 million acquisition by Crescent Point Energy Corp.

Encana Corporation's partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation

Counsel to Encana Corporation (now Ovintiv Inc.) in the $2.9 billion partnership with Mitsubishi Corporation whereby Mitsubishi acquired a 40% interest in Encana's natural gas assets in the Cutbank Ridge area in BC.

Athabasca Oil Sands Corp.'s energy asset sale and joint venture

Counsel to Athabasca Oil Sands Corp. in the $1.9 billion sale of 60% interest in McKay & Dover Oil Sands assets to PetroChina International Investment Company Limited and negotiated related joint venture.

Sale of natural gas assets in British Columbia and Alberta

Counsel to a potential bidder on the sale of Enbridge Inc.'s Canadian natural gas gathering and processing business in the Montney, Peace River Arch, Horn River and Liard basins.

Awards

Recent honours and recognition

Named in Lexpert's Special Edition: Energy (Electricity) (2025), Energy (Oil & Gas) (2025), Environmental Law (2025), and Energy and Mining (2024)

Named in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of energy (oil & gas) (2018-2025)

Leading lawyer in energy: oil and gas (transactional) by Chambers Canada (2029-2025)

Named in Best Lawyers in Canada as a recommended lawyer in the areas of Energy Law and Oil and Gas Law (2025)

Named in Who's Who Legal as a recommended lawyer in Energy - Oil & Gas (2023, 2024)

Named in Who's Who Legal as a Global Elite Thought Leader in Energy (2023)

Named in Chambers Global in Energy: Oil & Gas (2023)

Named in Who's Who Legal as a recommended lawyer in Canada - Energy (2023, 2024)

Leading lawyer in energy: oil and gas (transactional) by Chambers Canada (2029-2025)

Named in Best Lawyers in Canada as a recommended energy law lawyer (2018-2023)

Recognized by the Legal 500 Canada as a leading lawyer in energy and natural resources: oil & gas (2021-2023)

Next-generation lawyer in energy and natural resources: oil & gas by the Legal 500 Canada (2020)

Named in Lexpert's special edition's on Canada's leading corporate lawyers (2019) and energy lawyers (2018-2020)

Named in The Legal 500 Canada as a recommended lawyer in energy and natural resources: oil & gas (2018)

Publications

May 25, 2023

New Forced and Child Labour Annual Reporting Requirements for Government Institutions and Certain Publicly Listed and Private Entities

November 1, 2022

News

August 6, 2025