<PAGE>

EXHIBIT 31.1

    RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) CERTIFICATION OF CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT, AND CHIEF
                   EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF ENERGY PARTNERS, LTD.

I, Richard A. Bachmann, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Energy Partners, Ltd.

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly 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 quarterly
report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this quarterly 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 quarterly 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(e) and 15d-15(e)) 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
            registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known
            to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
            period in which this quarterly 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 quarterly report based on such
            evaluation; and

      c.    Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
            control over financial reporting that occurred during the
            registrant's most recent fiscal quarter 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 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
            reasonable likely to adversely affect the registrant'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 registrant's
            internal control over financial reporting

/s/ Richard A. Bachmann
--------------------------------
       Richard A. Bachmann
  Chairman, President and Chief
        Executive Officer

Dated: May 6, 2004