Who We Are
Walsh Engineering & Production was formed in 1964 by Red Walsh to provide contract engineering and lease operating services to the San Juan Basin. In 1992, Red’s son-in-law, Paul Thompson took the reins of the company and over the next 27 years with the help of West Hahn, John Thompson and Vern Andrews, grew the company in into a full-service upstream oil and gas service company. The Walsh team can execute any aspect of upstream operations and specializes in “cradle to grave” projects. We provide permitting, well planning and engineering, drilling and completion operations, contract pumping, production operations, regulatory compliance, oil and gas accounting and land services.
In addition to owning and operating Walsh Engineering & Production, the principal owners are also an independent operator with Epic Energy. This places the Walsh team in the unique position to understand every aspect of the oil and gas business, which in turn helps clients maximize their production and minimize their costs.
John Thompson, President and Engineering & Field Operations Manager
John Thompson has over 35 years of industry experience. He is a part owner of Walsh Engineering & Production, serving as President. In addition to that title, John oversees engineering and field/rig projects. Prior to joining Walsh as an Engineer, John was a Field Engineer for Western Atlas and an Engineer/Technical Advisor for Halliburton Energy Services. Previously, John has worked and lived in Wyoming, Utah, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, and Canada before moving to Farmington, New Mexico. Since starting at Walsh, John has seen the company grow from five employees to over forty and helped oversee the formation of Epic Energy, LLC. John is a past President and current board member of the New Mexico Independent Petroleum Association (IPANM), and past President and current member of the San Juan Chapter of the American Petroleum Institute (API). John has served on the San Juan College Board of Trustees since 2010. He attended New Mexico State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering.
West Hahn, Vice President and Equipment Sales & Business Development
West Hahn has over 36 years of industry experience and is co-owner at Walsh Engineering & Production, serving as Vice President. In addition to that role, he manages Equipment Sales & Business Development. West began building his experience with the Gas Company of New Mexico, gaining a wealth of knowledge that led him to various supervisor positions at Walsh. In these positions, West performed all facets of Oil & Gas operations including lease operator, production foreman, production superintendent, safety programs, well site construction and maintenance, completion and pipeline design and construction, salt water disposal design, and workover operations. He is a determined leader that continues to extend the bar of excellence for all around him. West’s greatest contributions have been seeking solutions that bring creative cost saving measures to the oilfield.
Vern Andrews, Officer and Production Superintendent
Vern Andrews has over 28 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. As a co-owner, he serves as a Production Superintendent at Walsh Engineering & Production. He is in charge of daily production operations of over 1400 natural gas and oil wells in the San Juan Basin. Duties include production management, gas nominations, well workovers, pipeline installation and operations, facility design, well pad and pipeline reclamation, spill remediation, employee management, company IT work and various other duties. Vern began his career as a Machinist at the San Juan Spring Machine Shop, working as a journeyman mill and lathe operator. Vern attended New Mexico State University where he studied Engineering.
Chad Van Sickle, Chief Financial Officer
Chad Van Sickle has over 20 years of accounting experience and currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Walsh Engineering and Production. Prior to joining Walsh, he worked at a Fortune 500 company in the energy industry and a CPA firm in Arizona. He started his career at Walsh in 2015 and is quickly gaining industry experience. Chad attended Ohio Wesleyan University where he earned a degree in Accounting and Economics Management.