EXHIBIT 2


  CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14(A) OR 15D-14
                     OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


CERTIFICATION


I, Steve W. Laut, certify that:

1.   I have  reviewed  this  annual  report  on Form  40-F of  Canadian  Natural
     Resources Limited;

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(s)  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 13(a) - 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(s) 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 25th day of March, 2009.


SIGNED " STEVE W. LAUT"
-----------------------
Steve W. Laut
President and Chief Operating Officer (Principal Executive Officer),
Canadian Natural Resources Limited