Education
  • Louisiana Tech University
    B.S. Chemical Engineering (1981)
Areas of expertise
  • Standard of Care
  • Accident / Incident Investigation
  • Insurance Claims
  • Offshore
  • Pipeline
  • Water/Marine
  • Operations and Maintenance
  • OSHA-related
  • Safety
  • Environmental
  • Product Quality
  • Forensic Analysis
  • Toxic Tort
Industries
  • Oil & Gas Production
  • Natural Gas and NGLs
  • Petroleum Refining
  • LNG
Certifications

Professional Engineer (P.E.) Alaska & Texas

Certified Fire & Explosion Investigator (CFEI)

Six Sigma Black Belt with LEAN tools

Summary of Experience

Mel Sinquefield has over 40 years of oil and gas industry experience and is an expert in the refining, petrochemicals, and oil and gas exploration and production sectors. Specializing in process safety engineering, occupational safety, and process engineering, he is a sought-after expert in investigating incidents involving casualties and property damage. Throughout his career, Mel has worked with multinational and regional oil producers, drilling and well service companies, pipeline operators, and construction companies, providing insights and expertise into complex cause-and-liability challenges.

Mel began his career as a process engineer supporting refinery cracking and middle distillate treating units for Exxon. At BP, he advanced into technical operations support for oil production facilities before moving into leadership roles in process safety management (PSM) and health, safety, and environment (HSE). His deep understanding of risk-based PSM/HSE management systems strengthens his causal analysis expertise, including the critical role of human factors in industrial incidents.

Since joining Baker & O’Brien, Mel has focused on personal injury, toxic tort, and industrial incidents, providing expert regulatory compliance and liability analysis. He also provides advisory consulting for due diligence in process safety and integrity management, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) assessments related to acquisitions and international project financing

Previous Experience

1991-2015: BP,

Director of Health, Safety, Environmental (HSE) and Risk, Basra, Iraq
Operating Management System Advisor, Houston, Texas
Asia Pacific Regional HSE Coach, Jakarta, Indonesia
Exploration Drilling HSE Manager, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Project HSE Manager, Baku, Azerbaijan
Health and Safety Manager, Baku, Azerbaijan
Safety / Loss Prevention Advisor, Anchorage, Alaska
Technical Integrity Coordinator, Cusiana, Colombia
HSE Coordinator, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Process Safety Management Coordinator, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Senior Process Engineer, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

1989-1991: Engineering Consultants (Alaska Anvil and TEST),
Process Engineer

1985-1988: Exxon Chemical,
Market Planner, Plasticizers & Intermediates
Technical Sales Representative, Paramins

1981-1985: Exxon Company USA,
Process Engineer, Baton Rouge Refinery