EXHIBIT 4
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               CERTIFICATION REQUIRED BY RULE 13A-14(A) OR 15D-14
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


CERTIFICATION


I, James C. Houck, certify that:

1.    I have  reviewed  this  annual  report on Form 40-F of Western Oil Sands,
      Inc.;

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 issuer as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.    The  issuer's  other  certifying   officer  and  I  are  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 issuer 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
             issuer, 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 issuer'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  issuer's  internal
             control over financial  reporting that occurred  during the period
             covered by the annual report that has materially  affected,  or is
             reasonably  likely to  materially  affect,  the issuer's  internal
             control over financial reporting; and

5.    The issuer's other certifying officer and I have disclosed,  based on our
      most recent evaluation of internal control over financial  reporting,  to
      the  issuer's  auditors  and the audit  committee  of  issuer'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 issuer'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  issuer's
             internal control over financial reporting.


Dated this 22nd day of February, 2007.

/s/ James C. Houck
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James C. Houck
President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer),
Western Oil Sands Inc.