EXHIBIT 3(a)

                          Certificate of Incorporation








                          CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
                                       OF
                             DENBURY RESOURCES INC.


     The  undersigned,  a natural person acting as incorporator of a corporation
under the General  Corporation Law of the State of Delaware,  as the same exists
or may hereafter  from time to time be amended (the  "DGCL"),  hereby makes this
Certificate of Incorporation for such corporation.

                                    ARTICLE I

                                      NAME

     The name of the corporation is Denbury Resources Inc. (the "Corporation").

                                   ARTICLE II

                           REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT

     The  address  of its  registered  office in the State of  Delaware  is 1209
Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, County of New Castle. The name of the
registered  agent of the  Corporation at such address is The  Corporation  Trust
Company.

                                   ARTICLE III

                       PURPOSES AND STOCKHOLDER LIABILITY

     (a)  Purposes.  The nature of the  business or purposes to be  conducted or
promoted by the Corporation is to engage in any lawful business, act or activity
for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

     (b) Stockholder  Liability.  The private property of the stockholders shall
not be subject to the payment of corporate debts to any extent whatsoever.

                                   ARTICLE IV

                            AUTHORIZED CAPITAL STOCK

     The  aggregate  number  of  shares  of  all  classes  of  stock  which  the
Corporation shall have authority to issue is 125,000,000 shares,  consisting of:
(i) 100,000,000  shares of common stock,  par value $.001 per share (the "Common
Stock"),  and (ii)  25,000,000  shares of preferred  stock,  par value $.001 per
share  (the  "Preferred  Stock").  Shares of any class of  capital  stock of the
Corporation may be issued for such consideration and for such corporate purposes
as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the "Board of Directors") may from
time to time  determine.  Each share of Common  Stock  shall be  entitled to one
vote.

     A. Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock may be divided into and issued from
time to time in one or more series as may be fixed and  determined  by the Board
of Directors. The relative rights and preferences of the Preferred Stock of each
series shall be such as shall be stated in any resolution or resolutions adopted
by the Board of Directors setting

                                    3(a) - 1





forth the  designation  of the series and fixing and  determining  the  relative
rights  and  preferences  thereof  (a  "Directors'  Resolution").  The  Board of
Directors is hereby  authorized to fix and  determine the powers,  designations,
preferences and relative,  participating,  optional or other rights,  including,
without  limitation,  voting  powers,  full or limited,  preferential  rights to
receive dividends or assets upon  liquidation,  rights of conversion or exchange
into Common Stock, Preferred Stock of any series or other securities,  any right
of the  Corporation to exchange or convert  shares into Common Stock,  Preferred
Stock of any series or other securities, or redemption provision or sinking fund
provisions,  as between series and as between the Preferred  Stock or any series
thereof  and  the  Common  Stock,   and  the   qualifications,   limitations  or
restrictions thereof, if any, all as shall be stated in a Directors' Resolution,
and the shares of Preferred Stock or any series thereof may have full or limited
voting  powers,  or be  without  voting  powers,  all as shall be  stated in the
Directors'  Resolution.  Except  where  otherwise  set  forth in the  Directors'
Resolution  providing  for the  issuance of any series of Preferred  Stock,  the
number of shares  comprising  such series may be increased or decreased (but not
below the number of shares then outstanding) from time to time by like action of
the Board of Directors. The shares of Preferred Stock of any one series shall be
identical with the other shares in the same series in all respects  except as to
the dates from and after which dividends thereon shall cumulate, if cumulative.

     B.  Reacquired  Shares of  Preferred  Stock.  Shares  of any  series of any
Preferred  Stock that have been  redeemed  (whether  through the  operation of a
sinking  fund  or  otherwise),  purchased  by  the  Corporation,  or  which,  if
convertible or exchangeable,  have been converted into, or exchanged for, shares
of stock of any other class or classes or any  evidences of  indebtedness  shall
have the status of authorized and unissued  shares of Preferred Stock and may be
reissued as a part of the series of which they were  originally a part or may be
reclassified  and reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock or as part
of any other  series of  Preferred  Stock,  all  subject  to the  conditions  or
restrictions  on issuance set forth in the Directors'  Resolution  providing for
the issuance of any series of Preferred Stock and to any filing required by law.

     C. Increase in Authorized  Preferred Stock. The number of authorized shares
of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased by the affirmative  vote of the
holders of a majority of the stock of the  Corporation  entitled to vote without
the separate vote of holders of Preferred Stock as a class.

                                    ARTICLE V

                                    EXISTENCE

     The existence of the Corporation is to be perpetual.

                                   ARTICLE VI

                              NO PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS

     No stockholder shall be entitled, as a matter of right, to subscribe for or
acquire additional, unissued or treasury shares of any class of capital stock of
the Corporation whether now or hereafter authorized, or any bonds, debentures or
other  securities  convertible  into,  or  carrying a right to  subscribe  to or
acquire such shares,  but any shares or other  securities  convertible  into, or
carrying  a right to  subscribe  to or  acquire  such  shares  may be  issued or
disposed of by the Board of  Directors  to such  persons and on such terms as in
its discretion it shall deem advisable.


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                                   ARTICLE VII

                              NO CUMULATIVE VOTING

     At each election of directors,  every stockholder  entitled to vote at such
election shall have the right to vote in person or by proxy the number of shares
owned by him for as many  persons as there are  directors  to be elected and for
whose  election he has a right to vote. No  stockholder  shall have the right to
cumulate his votes in any election of directors.

                                  ARTICLE VIII

                               BOARD OF DIRECTORS

     A. Powers.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by
or under the direction of the Board of  Directors.  In addition to the authority
and powers  conferred  upon the Board of  Directors  by the DGCL or by the other
provisions  of  this   Certificate  of  Incorporation   (this   "Certificate  of
Incorporation"),  the Board of Directors is hereby  authorized  and empowered to
exercise  all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or
done by the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the DGCL, this Certificate
of  Incorporation  and the Bylaws of the Corporation  (the "Bylaws");  provided,
however,   that  no  Bylaws  hereafter   adopted  by  the  stockholders  of  the
Corporation,  or any amendments  thereto,  shall invalidate any prior act of the
Board of Directors  that would have been valid if such Bylaws or  amendment  had
not been adopted.

     B.  Number,  Election  and  Terms.  The  number of  directors  which  shall
constitute the whole Board of Directors  shall be fixed from time to time by the
members of the Board of Directors then in office subject to Section D(2) of this
Article VIII.  Each director  shall hold office until the next annual meeting of
stockholders  and shall serve until his  successor  shall have been duly elected
and qualified or until his earlier death,  resignation  or removal.  Election of
directors need not be by written ballot.

     C.  Bylaws.  Subject to Section  D(3) of this  Article  VIII,  the Board of
Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws, or adopt
new Bylaws, without any action on the part of the stockholders, except as may be
otherwise provided by applicable law or the Bylaws.

     D. Special Voting Requirements. The following matters shall be decided by a
majority  of not less than 2/3 of the members of the Board of  Directors  of the
Corporation  voting in favor of a resolution  in respect of any of the following
matters:

     (1)  an acquisition  having a purchase price in excess of 20% of the Assets
          (as herein defined) of the Corporation or a disposition  having a sale
          price in excess of 20% of the Assets of the Corporation;

     (2)  any  increase or decrease in the total  number of members of the Board
          of Directors of the Corporation;

     (3)  any amendment to the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  or Bylaws of the
          Corporation;

     (4)  any  issuance of equity  securities  or  securities  convertible  into
          equity  securities  of the  Corporation  (other  than  pursuant to any
          rights,  options,  warrants or convertible or exchangeable  securities
          outstanding  prior to the date of this Certificate of Incorporation is
          made effective, and other than pursuant to any stock option plan or

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          employee benefit plans of the Corporation existing from time to time);

     (5)  the  creation  of any  series  of  Preferred  Stock  and  the  powers,
          designations,  preferences  and relative,  participating,  optional or
          other rights, and qualifications,  limitations or restrictions thereof
          attached thereto; any change in the powers, designations,  preferences
          and   relative,   participating,   optional  or  other   rights,   and
          qualifications,   limitations  or  restrictions  thereof  attached  to
          unissued shares of any series; or

     (6)  the issuance of any debt  securities in excess of 10% of the Assets of
          the Corporation and (i) any borrowings by the Corporation,  other than
          advances  against  existing  credit lines and (ii) any increase in the
          existing credit lines of the  Corporation,  in each case, in excess of
          10%  of  the  Assets  of the  Corporation  in  respect  of  which  the
          Corporation is required to grant security for the debt  obligations or
          any borrowed money.

     For the purposes of subsections (1) and (6) above,  "Assets" shall mean the
total assets of the Corporation as reported on the consolidated balance sheet at
the end of the last fiscal  quarter of the  Corporation,  prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles.

                                   ARTICLE IX

                                 INDEMNIFICATION

     A.  Mandatory  Indemnification.  Each  person  who at any  time is or was a
director or officer of the  Corporation,  and is  threatened  to be or is made a
party to any  threatened,  pending  or  completed  action,  suit or  proceeding,
whether  civil,  criminal,  administrative,   arbitrative  or  investigative  (a
"Proceeding"),  by reason of the fact that such  person is or was a director  or
officer  of  the  Corporation,  or is or  was  serving  at  the  request  of the
Corporation  as a director,  officer,  partner,  venturer,  proprietor,  member,
employee,  trustee,  agent or similar functionary of another domestic or foreign
corporation,  partnership,  joint venture, sole proprietorship,  trust, employee
benefit plan or other for-profit or non-profit enterprise,  whether the basis of
a  Proceeding  is an alleged  action in such  person's  official  capacity or in
another  capacity  while  holding such  office,  shall be  indemnified  and held
harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL, or any
other  applicable law as may from time to time be in effect (but, in the case of
any  amendment to such law or enactment of new law, only to the extent that such
amendment   or   enactment   permits   the   Corporation   to  provide   broader
indemnification  rights  than  such law  prior to such  amendment  or  enactment
permitted the Corporation to provide),  against all expense,  liability and loss
(including,  without  limitation,  court costs and attorneys'  fees,  judgments,
fines, excise taxes or penalties,  and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement)
actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection with a
Proceeding,  and such  indemnification  shall  continue  as to a person  who has
ceased to be a director or officer of the  Corporation  or a director,  officer,
partner,  venturer,  proprietor,  member,  employee,  trustee,  agent or similar
functionary  of another  domestic  or foreign  corporation,  partnership,  joint
venture,  sole proprietorship,  trust, employee benefit plan or other for-profit
or non-profit enterprise, and shall inure to the benefit of such person's heirs,
executors and administrators. The Corporation's obligations under this Section A
include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  the  convening  of any  meeting,  and the
consideration  of any matter thereby,  required by statute in order to determine
the eligibility of any person for indemnification.

     B. Advancement of Expenses.  Expenses  incurred by a director or officer of
the  Corporation in defending a Proceeding  shall be paid by the  Corporation in
advance  of the final  disposition  of such  Proceeding  to the  fullest  extent
permitted by, and only in compliance with, the DGCL or any other applicable laws
as may  from  time to time be in  effect,  including,  without  limitation,  any
provision of the DGCL which requires,  as a condition  precedent to such expense
advancement,  the delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf
of such director or officer, to repay all

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amounts so advanced if it shall  ultimately be determined  that such director or
officer is not entitled to be indemnified  under Section A of this Article IX or
otherwise.  Repayments  of all amounts so advanced  shall be upon such terms and
conditions, if any, as the Corporation's Board of Directors deems appropriate.

     C.  Vesting.  The  Corporation's  obligation  to  indemnify  and to  prepay
expenses under  Sections A and B of this Article IX shall arise,  and all rights
granted to the Corporation's directors and officers hereunder shall vest, at the
time of the  occurrence  of the  transaction  or  event  to  which a  Proceeding
relates,  or at the time that the action or  conduct  to which  such  Proceeding
relates was first  taken or engaged in (or  omitted to be taken or engaged  in),
regardless of when such Proceeding is first threatened,  commenced or completed.
Notwithstanding  any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the
Bylaws,  no  action  taken  by the  Corporation,  either  by  amendment  of this
Certificate  of  Incorporation  or the Bylaws or  otherwise,  shall  diminish or
adversely affect any rights to indemnification or prepayment of expenses granted
under  Sections A and B of this  Article IX which  shall have  become  vested as
aforesaid  prior to the date that such  amendment or other  corporate  action is
effective or taken, whichever is later.

     D. Enforcement.  If a claim under Section A or Section B or both Sections A
and B of this Article IX is not paid in full by the  Corporation  within  thirty
(30)  days  after a written  claim has been  received  by the  Corporation,  the
claimant  may  at any  time  thereafter  bring  suit  in a  court  of  competent
jurisdiction  against the  Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim
and, if successful in whole or in part,  the claimant  shall also be entitled to
be paid the expense of prosecuting  such claim,  including  attorneys'  fees. It
shall be a defense  to any such suit  (other  than a suit  brought  to enforce a
claim for expenses  incurred in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final
disposition  where  the  required  undertaking,  if any is  required,  has  been
tendered to the  Corporation)  that the  claimant  has not met the  standards of
conduct  which make it  permissible  under the DGCL or other  applicable  law to
indemnify  the claimant for the amount  claimed,  but the burden of proving such
defense shall be on the Corporation.  The failure of the Corporation  (including
its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel, or stockholders) to have made
a  determination   prior  to  the  commencement  of  such  suit  as  to  whether
indemnification  is  proper  in the  circumstances  based  upon  the  applicable
standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL or other  applicable law shall neither
be a defense to the action nor create a  presumption  that the  claimant has not
met the  applicable  standard of conduct.  The  termination of any Proceeding by
judgment,  order, settlement,  conviction,  or upon a plea of nolo contendere or
its equivalent,  shall not, of itself,  create a presumption that the person did
not act in good faith and in a manner which such person  reasonably  believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect
to any criminal Proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was
unlawful.

     E. Nonexclusive.  The indemnification provided by this Article IX shall not
be  deemed   exclusive   of  any  other   rights  to  which  a  person   seeking
indemnification  may be entitled under any statute,  bylaw,  other provisions of
this  Certificate  of   Incorporation,   agreement,   vote  of  stockholders  or
disinterested  directors  or  otherwise,  both as to  action  in  such  person's
official  capacity  and as to action in  another  capacity  while  holding  such
office.

     F. Permissive Indemnification. The rights to indemnification and prepayment
of expenses which are conferred to the  Corporation's  directors and officers by
Sections A and B of this Article IX may be conferred  upon any employee or agent
of the Corporation if, and to the extent, authorized by the Board of Directors.

     G.  Insurance.  The  Corporation  shall have power to purchase and maintain
insurance,  at its  expense,  on behalf of any person who is or was a  director,
officer,  employee  or agent of the  Corporation,  or is or was  serving  at the
request  of  the  Corporation  as  a  director,   officer,  partner,   venturer,
proprietor,  member, employee,  trustee, agent or similar functionary of another
domestic   or   foreign   corporation,    partnership,   joint   venture,   sole
proprietorship,  trust,  employee benefit plan or other for-profit or non-profit
enterprise  against any expense,  liability or loss asserted against such person
and  incurred  by such  person  in any such  capacity,  or  arising  out of such
person's status as such,  whether or not the Corporation would have the power to
indemnify  such  person  against  such  expense,  liability  or loss  under  the
provisions  of this  Article  IX, the  Corporation's  Bylaws,  the DGCL or other
applicable law.


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     H. Implementing Arrangements. Without limiting the power of the Corporation
to procure or maintain  insurance or other  arrangement  on behalf of any of the
persons as described in Section G of this Article IX, the  Corporation  may, for
the benefit of persons  eligible for  indemnification  by the  Corporation,  (i)
create a trust fund, (ii) establish any form of self-insurance, (iii) secure its
indemnity obligation by grant of a security interest or other lien on the assets
of the  Corporation,  or (iv)  establish a letter of credit,  guaranty or surety
arrangement.

                                    ARTICLE X

                           LIMITED DIRECTOR LIABILITY

     No  director  of  the  Corporation   shall  be  personally  liable  to  the
Corporation or to its  stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary
duty as a director,  provided  that this Article X shall not  eliminate or limit
the  liability  of a  director:  (i) for any  breach of the  director's  duty of
loyalty to the Corporation or its  stockholders,  (ii) for acts or omissions not
in good faith or which involve intentional  misconduct or a knowing violation of
law,  (iii) under  Section 174 of the DGCL,  as it may hereafter be amended from
time to time,  or (iv) for any  transaction  from which the director  derived an
improper personal benefit.

     If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or
limiting the personal  liability of directors,  then the liability of a director
of the  Corporation  shall  be  eliminated  or  limited  to the  fullest  extent
permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.  No amendment to or repeal of this Article
X will apply to, or have any effect on, the  liability  or alleged  liability of
any director of the  Corporation for or with respect to any acts or omissions of
the director occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.

                                   ARTICLE XI

               BUSINESS COMBINATIONS WITH INTERESTED STOCKHOLDERS

     The Corporation shall not be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

                                   ARTICLE XII

                        INSPECTION RIGHTS OF BONDHOLDERS

     The holders of any bonds,  debentures or other obligations  issued or to be
issued  by the  Corporation  shall  have the same  right  of  inspection  of the
Corporation's  books,  accounts  and other  records  which the  stockholders  of
Corporation have.


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                                  ARTICLE XIII

                                  INCORPORATOR

     The name and mailing address of the incorporator:

     Phil Rykhoek
     Denbury Resources Inc.
     5100 Tennyson Parkway, Suite 3000
     Plano, Texas 75024

                                   ARTICLE XIV

                                  DOMESTICATION

     The Corporation was first incorporated in the Province of Manitoba (Canada)
as a specially  limited  company on March 7, 1951.  On  February  16,  1968,  by
supplementary  letters  patent,  the  Corporation  was  converted  to a  limited
company.  On September 13, 1984, the  Corporation was continued under the Canada
Business Corporations Act. Simultaneously with the filing of this Certificate of
Incorporation,  the Corporation has filed its Certificate of Domestication  with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in order to  domesticate  itself
in  the  State  of  Delaware.  This  Certificate  of  Incorporation  amends  and
supersedes in all respects the previously  adopted  Articles of Continuance,  as
amended  to date,  of the  Corporation.  Each  common  share of the  Corporation
outstanding on the effective date of this Certificate of Incorporation is hereby
converted  into one share of the Common Stock without any further  action by the
Corporation or any stockholder, and the currently outstanding share certificates
representing  such  common  shares  outstanding  on the  effective  date of this
Certificate of Incorporation shall represent one share of the Common Stock until
such share certificate is surrendered for transfer or reissue.

     I, the undersigned,  being the  incorporator,  for the purpose of forming a
corporation  pursuant to the DGCL, do make this  Certificate  of  Incorporation,
hereby declaring under the penalties of perjury that this is my act and deed and
that the facts  stated  herein are true,  and  accordingly  have  executed  this
Certificate of Incorporation effective as of April 20, 1999.





                                       Phil Rykhoek, Sole Incorporator


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