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                                                                     EXHIBIT 3




                          CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS

                                       OF

                 SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK

                                       OF

                          TOREADOR ROYALTY CORPORATION

                        (Pursuant to Section 151 of the
                       Delaware General Corporation Law)





         Toreador Royalty Corporation, a corporation organized and existing
under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called
the "Corporation"), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted
by the Board of Directors of the Corporation as required by Section 151 of the
General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on April 3, 1995:

         RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the
Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the "Board of
Directors" or the "Board") in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate
of Incorporation, the Board of Directors hereby creates a series of Preferred
Stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), of the Corporation
and hereby states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative
rights, preferences, and limitations thereof as follows:

         Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:

         Section 1. Designation and Amount.  The shares of such series shall be
designated as "Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock" (the "Series A
Preferred Stock") and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred
Stock shall be 200,000.  Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by
resolution of the Board of Directors; provided, that no decrease shall reduce
the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the
number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for
issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon
the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Corporation
convertible into Series A Preferred Stock.




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         Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.

                 (A)      Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of
         any series of Preferred Stock (or any similar stock) ranking prior and
         superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends,
         the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to
         the holders of Common Stock, par value $.15625 per share (the "Common
         Stock"), of the Corporation, and of any other junior stock, shall be
         entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of
         Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly
         dividends payable in cash on the first day of March, June, September
         and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as
         a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first
         Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or
         fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount per
         share (rounded to the nearest cent) equal to the greater of (a) $1 or
         (b) subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, 100
         times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 100
         times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash
         dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in
         shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of
         Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the
         Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend
         Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment
         Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of
         Series A Preferred Stock.  In the event the Corporation shall at any
         time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares
         of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
         consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
         reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
         of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common
         Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of
         Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event
         under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by
         multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the
         number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such
         event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common
         Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                 (B)      The Corporation shall declare a dividend or
         distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph
         (A) of this Section immediately after it declares a dividend or
         distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in
         shares of Common Stock); provided that, in the event no dividend or
         distribution shall have been declared on the Common Stock during the
         period between any Quarterly Dividend Payment Date and the next
         subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, a dividend of $1 per share
         on the Series A Preferred Stock shall nevertheless be payable on such
         subsequent Quarterly Dividend Payment Date.

                 (C)      Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on
         outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly
         Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares,
         unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date
         for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends
         on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such
         shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment
         Date or is a date after the record date for the





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         determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock
         entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly
         Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall
         begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment
         Date.  Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.
         Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount
         less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and
         payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share
         basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of
         Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of
         shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a
         dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be
         not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

                 Section 3.  Voting Rights.  The holders of shares of Series A
Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

                 (A)      Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter
         set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the
         holder thereof to 100 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the
         stockholders of the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall
         at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
         shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or
         consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by
         reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares
         of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common
         Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which
         holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled
         immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such
         number by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares
         of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the
         denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were
         outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                 (B)      Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other
         Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or
         any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A
         Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any
         other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights
         shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of
         stockholders of the Corporation.

                 (C)      Except as set forth herein, or as otherwise provided
         by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special
         voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the
         extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set
         forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

                 Section 4.  Certain Restrictions.

                 (A)      Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or
         distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in
         Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid
         dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on





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         shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in
         full, the Corporation shall not:

                            (i)   declare or pay dividends, or make any other
                 distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either
                 as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding
                 up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;

                           (ii)   declare or pay dividends, or make any other
                 distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity
                 (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
                 winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except
                 dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all
                 such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears
                 in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all
                 such shares are then entitled;

                          (iii)   redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
                 consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to
                 dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to
                 the Series A Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation
                 may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares
                 of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock
                 of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or
                 upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A
                 Preferred Stock; or

                           (iv)   redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for
                 consideration any shares of Series A Preferred Stock, or any
                 shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series A
                 Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer
                 made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board
                 of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as
                 the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective
                 annual dividend rates and other relative rights and
                 preferences of the respective series and classes, shall
                 determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable
                 treatment among the respective series or classes.

                 (B)      The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of
         the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any
         shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under
         paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such
         shares at such time and in such manner.

                 Section 5.  Reacquired Shares.  Any shares of Series A
Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any
manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition
thereof.  All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but
unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new series
of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set
forth herein, in the Certificate of Incorporation, or in any other Certificate
of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock or as
otherwise required by law.

                 Section 6.  Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.  Upon any
liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution
shall be made (1) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as
to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or





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winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock unless, prior thereto, the holders
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have received $100 per share, plus
an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon,
whether or not declared, to the date of such payment, provided that the holders
of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate
amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set
forth, equal to 100 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to
holders of shares of Common Stock, or (2) to the holders of shares of stock
ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or
winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except distributions made
ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion
to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon
such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.  In the event the Corporation
shall at any time declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation
of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise
than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or
lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate
amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled
immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (1) of the
preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction
the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding
immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of
shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

                 Section 7.  Consolidation, Merger, etc.  In case the
Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other
transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed
into other stock or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any
such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be
similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the
provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 100 times the
aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable
in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common
Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Corporation shall at any time
declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common
Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by
payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser
number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth
in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of
Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the
number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to
such event.

                 Section 8.  No Redemption.  The shares of Series A Preferred
stock shall not be redeemable.

                 Section 9.  Rank.  The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank,
with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets, junior
to all series of any other class of the Corporation's Preferred Stock.





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                 Section 10.  Amendment.  The Certificate of Incorporation of
the Corporation shall not be amended in any manner which would materially alter
or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred
Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred
Stock, voting together as a single class.

                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is
executed on behalf of the Corporation by its Chairman of the Board and attested
by its Secretary this 3rd day of April, 1995.





                                                /s/ Peter R. Vig 
                                                Peter R. Vig 
                                                Chairman of the Board



Attest:


/s/ James S. Blair                                          
James S. Blair
Vice President - Land and Acquisitions





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