Mark Hettinger

Posts by Mark Hettinger


With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, I recognize that there is a negative stigma that accompanies big oil and gas corporations; and with occurrences like BP’s Gulf oil spill, it is often self-inflicted. The perception that oil and gas companies foster a mentality of pump, pump, pump to get the resource out of the ground and move on also rouses a tremendous amount of discontent amongst locals and naysayers, as well as opponents of exploration.

My tenure in the industry spans three decades. I founded Hettinger Welding in 1978 and served as its CEO for nearly 30 years. I am proud to state that Hettinger had grown from a small but mighty team to over 1,400 employees and a 200 million plus dollar annual market share, solidifying its place as one of the largest oil and gas construction firms in the western United States. In 2008, I retired from Hettinger and now serve as Chairman and Chief Operations Officer of High Plains Gas, Inc., an emerging owner and operator that procures, produces and markets natural gas without potentially environmentally harmful fracking practices. Keep reading →