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                                                                    Exhibit 31.1

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Joseph L. Castle II, certify that:

(1)     I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Castle Energy
        Corporation for the year ended September 30, 2004.

(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 registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report.

(4)     The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for
        establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
        defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(a) and (15d-15e) for the registrant
        and we have:

        a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
                disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
                supervision and presented in this report our conclusions about
                the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures to
                ensure that material information relating to the registrant,
                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)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant'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

        c)      Disclosed in this report any changes in the registrant's
                internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
                fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
                materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                reporting, and

(5)     The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
        our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
        to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's
        board of directors:

        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 registrant's
                ability to record, process, analyze 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 registrant's
                internal control over financial reporting.

/s/JOSEPH L. CASTLE II
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Joseph L. Castle II
Chief Executive Officer

December 24, 2004