**Exhibit 31.1**

 

**CERTIFICATION**

 

I, Floyd C. Wilson, certify that:

 

1.              I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June30, 2004, of Petrohawk Energy Corporation (the “Company”);

 

2.              Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of amaterial fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statementsmade, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.              Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financialinformation included in this report, fairly present in all material respectsthe financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company asof, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.              The Company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishingand maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange ActRules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and we have:

 

a.              Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosurecontrols and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure thatmaterial information relating to the Company, including its consolidatedsubsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularlyduring the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b.             Evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and proceduresand presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of thedisclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by thisreport based on such evaluation; and

 

c.              Disclosed in this report any change in the Company’s internal control overfinancial reporting that occurred during the Company’s most recent fiscalquarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materiallyaffect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.              The Company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our mostrecent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to theCompany’s auditors and the audit committee of Company’s board of directors (orpersons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a.              All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operationof internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely toadversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and reportfinancial information; and

 

b.             Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employeeswho have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financialreporting.

 

Date: August 13, 2004

 
|   | By:                                                                        | /s/ Floyd C. Wilson |   |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|--------|
|   | Floyd C. Wilson                                                            |
|   | President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of  the Board of Directors |

 

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