Exhibit 31.1
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                            CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

         I, Robert I.  Richards,  Chief  Executive  Officer of the Trans Energy,
Inc. (the "registrant"), certify that:

         1. I have  reviewed  this  quarterly  report  on Form  10-QSB  of Trans
         Energy, Inc.;

         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 we have:

                  a) designed such disclosure  controls and procedures 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 small business 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

                  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,  to the registrant's  auditors and
         the audit  committee of  registrant's  board of  directors  (or persons
         performing the equivalent function):

                  a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                  design  or  operation  of  our  financial  reporting  internal
                  controls 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 controls over financial reporting.

Date:  August 18, 2003


/s/   ROBERT I. RICHARDS
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Robert I. Richards
Chief Executive Officer