Exhibit 31.1     CERTIFICATIONS
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I, Mark D. Hettinger, certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  Report  on  Form 10-Q of High Plains Gas, Inc. (the
     "Company")  for  the  period  ending  September  30,  2010;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of
     a  material  fact  or  omit  to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements  made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
     were  made,  not  misleading  with  respect  to  the period covered by this
     report;

3.   Based on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other financial
     information  included  in  this  report,  fairly  present  in  all material
     respects  the  financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the  Company  as  of,  and  for,  the  periods  presented  in  this report;

4.   I am responsible  for  establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
     procedures  (as  defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and
     internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules
     13a-15(f)  and  15d-15(f))  for  the  registrant  and  have:

     (a)  designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or caused such
          disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
          supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information  relating to the
          Company,  including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
          by  others  within  those  entities, particularly during the period in
          which  this  report  is  being  prepared;

     (b)  designed  such  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  or
          caused  such  internal control over financial reporting to be designed
          under  our  supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
          reliability  of  financial  reporting and the preparation of financial
          statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted
          accounting  principles;

     (c)  evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  Company's  disclosure controls
          and  procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
          effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end
          of  the  period  covered  by this report based on such evaluation; and

     (d)  disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  Company's  internal
          control  over  financial  reporting that occurred during the Company's
          most recent fiscal quarter (the Company's fourth fiscal quarter in the
          case  of  an  annual  report)  that  has  materially  affected,  or is
          reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control
          over  financial  reporting.

5.   I have  disclosed,  based  on my most recent evaluation of internal control
     over financial reporting, to the Company's auditors and the audit committee
     of  the  Company's Board of Directors (or persons performing the equivalent
     functions):

     (a)  all significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the
          design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
          are  reasonably  likely  to  adversely affect the Company's ability to
          record,  process,  summarize  and  report  financial  information; and

     (b)  any fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves  management or
          other  employees who have a significant role in the Company's internal
          control  over  financial  reporting.

                              Date: November 22, 2010

                              By: \s\ Mark D. Hettinger
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                              Mark D. Hettinger
                              Chief Executive Officer