<PAGE>
                                                                            31.1

                    CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Joseph L. Castle II, certify that:


(1)    I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Castle Energy
       Corporation for the three months ended June 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(e) 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, 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 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, 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/JOSEPH L. CASTLE II
----------------------
Joseph L. Castle II
Chief Executive Officer

August 16, 2004