EX-31.1 3 a03ex311.htm CERTIFICTIONS Exhibit 31.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-14(a) as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Thomas R. Kaetzer, certify that:

     1.   I have  reviewed  this amended  annual report on Form 10-K of GulfWest
          Energy Inc.;

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

     3.   Based on my knowledge,  the financial statements,  and other financial
          information  included in this  annual  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 annual report;

     4.   The registrant's  other certifying  officers and I are responsible for
          establishing  and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as
          defined in Exchange  Act Rules  13a-14 and 15d-14) for the  registrant
          and 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
               annual report is being prepared;

          b)   evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant's   disclosure
               controls and  procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the
               filing date of this annual report (the "Evaluation Date"); and

          c)   presented  in this  quarterly  report our  conclusions  about the
               effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and procedures based on
               our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date.

     5.   The registrant's other certifying officers 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 functions):

          a)   all  significant  deficiencies  in the  design  or  operation  of
               internal  controls which could adversely  affect the registrant's
               ability to record,  process,  summarize and report financial data
               and have  identified for the  registrant's  auditors any material
               weaknesses in internal controls; 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; and

                                       i

     6.   The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers and I have indicated in
          this annual report whether there were significant  changes in internal
          controls or in other factors that could significantly  affect internal
          controls  subsequent  to the  date  of  our  most  recent  evaluation,
          including   any   corrective   actions  with  regard  to   significant
          deficiencies and material weaknesses.



Date: March 29, 2004

                                     /s/  Thomas R. Kaetzer
                                     -----------------------------------
                                          Thomas R. Kaetzer
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer