filings.toolsExpand Energy 10-K 2023-12-31
Filed 2024-02-21. 24 sections, 641K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File No. 001-13726
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Oklahoma | 73-1395733 | |||||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||||||
| 6100 North Western Avenue, | Oklahoma City, | Oklahoma | 73118 | |||||||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||
| (405) | 848-8000 | |||||||||||||
| (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) |
| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: | ||||||||||||||
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share | CHK | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||||||||||||
| Class A Warrants to purchase Common Stock | CHKEW | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||||||||||||
| Class B Warrants to purchase Common Stock | CHKEZ | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC | ||||||||||||
| Class C Warrants to purchase Common Stock | CHKEL | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☐
Smaller reporting company ☐ Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court. Yes ☒ No ☐
The aggregate market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2023 was approximately $7.6 billion. As of February 15, 2024, there were 130,794,770 shares of our common stock outstanding.
__________________________________________
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the proxy statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III.
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES
FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Definitions |
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references to “us,” “we,” “our,” “ours,” “Chesapeake,” the “Company” and “Registrant” refer to Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries. All monetary values, other than per unit and per share amounts, are stated in millions of U.S. dollars unless otherwise specified. Certain reserves and production information was previously disclosed in a per barrel of oil equivalent, since the majority of our production profile consists of natural gas, we have converted this information, including prior periods, from a per barrel of oil equivalent, to a per one thousand cubic feet of natural gas equivalent, referred to, on such a converted basis, as per Mcfe. In addition, the following are other abbreviations and definitions of certain terms used within this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K” or this “report”):
“Adjusted Free Cash Flow” (a non-GAAP measure) means net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) less cash capital expenditures and contributions to investments, adjusted to exclude certain items management believes affect the comparability of operating results.
“ASC” means Accounting Standards Codification.
“Backstop Commitment Agreement” means that certain Backstop Commitment Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2020, by and between Chesapeake and the Backstop Parties, as may be further amended, modified, or supplemented from time to time, in accordance with its terms.
“Backstop Parties” means the members of the FLLO Ad Hoc Group that are signatories to the Backstop Commitment Agreement and Franklin Advisers, Inc., as investment manager on behalf of certain funds and accounts.
“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code, 11 U.S.C. §§ 101–1532, as amended.
“Bankruptcy Court” means the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
“Bbl” or “Bbls” means barrel or barrels.
“Bcf” means billion cubic feet.
“Bcfe” means billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.
“BLM” means the Bureau of Land Management.
“Chapter 11 Cases” means, when used with reference to a particular Debtor, the case pending for that Debtor under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court, and when used with reference to all the Debtors, the procedurally consolidated Chapter 11 cases pending for the Debtors in the Bankruptcy Court.
“Chief” means Chief E&D Holdings, LP.
“Class A Warrants” means warrants to purchase 10 percent of the New Common Stock (after giving effect to the Rights Offering, but subject to dilution by the Management Incentive Plan, the Class B Warrants, and the Class C Warrants), at an initial exercise price per share of $27.63. The Class A Warrants are exercisable from the Effective Date until February 9, 2026.
“Class B Warrants” means warrants to purchase 10 percent of the New Common Stock (after giving effect to the Rights Offering, but subject to dilution by the Management Incentive Plan and the Class C Warrants), at an initial exercise price per share of $32.13. The Class B Warrants are exercisable from the Effective Date until February 9, 2026.
“Class C Warrants” means warrants to purchase 10 percent of the New Common Stock (after giving effect to the Rights Offering, but subject to dilution by the Management Incentive Plan), at an initial exercise price per share of $36.18. The Class C Warrants are exercisable from the Effective Date until February 9, 2026.
“Completion” means the process of treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent equipment for the production of natural gas, oil or natural gas liquids, or in the case of a dry well, the reporting to the appropriate authority that the well has been abandoned.
“Confirmation Order” means the order confirming the Fifth Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, Docket No. 2915, entered by the Bankruptcy Court on January 16, 2021.
“DD&A” means depreciation, depletion and amortization.
“Debtors” means the Company, together with all of its direct and indirect subsidiaries that have filed the Chapter 11 Cases.
“DEI” means diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Developed Acreage” means acres which are allocated or assignable to producing wells or wells capable of production.
“DIP Facility” means that certain debtor-in-possession financing facility documented pursuant to the DIP Documents and DIP Order.
“Dry Well” means a well found to be incapable of producing either natural gas or oil in sufficient quantities to justify completion as a natural gas or oil well.
“Effective Date” means February 9, 2021.
“ESG” means environmental, social and governance.
“Exit Credit Facility” means the reserve-based credit facility available upon emergence from bankruptcy. In December 2022, we terminated the Exit Credit Facility.
“Exploratory Well” means a well drilled to find a new field or to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of natural gas or oil in another reservoir.
“FLLO Term Loan Facility” means the facility outstanding under the FLLO Term Loan Facility Credit Agreement.
“FLLO Term Loan Facility Credit Agreement” means that certain Term Loan Agreement, dated as of December 19, 2019 ((i) as supplemented by that certain Class A Term Loan Supplement, dated as of December 19, 2019 (as amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time), by and among Chesapeake, as borrower, the Debtor guarantors party thereto, GLAS USA LLC, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto, and (ii) as further amended, restated, or otherwise modified from time to time), by and among Chesapeake, the Debtor guarantors party thereto, GLAS USA LLC, as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto.
“Formation” means a succession of sedimentary beds that were deposited under the same general geologic conditions.
“Free Cash Flow” (a non-GAAP measure) means net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) less cash capital expenditures.
“G&A” means general and administrative expenses.
“GAAP” means U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
“General Unsecured Claim” means any Claim against any Debtor that is not otherwise paid in full during the Chapter 11 Cases pursuant to an order of the Bankruptcy Court and is not an Administrative Claim, a Priority Tax Claim, an Other Priority Claim, an Other Secured Claim, a Revolving Credit Facility Claim, a FLLO Term Loan Facility Claim, a Second Lien Notes Claim, an Unsecured Notes Claim, an Intercompany Claim, or a Section 510(b) Claim.
“Gross Acres or Gross Wells” means the total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which a working interest is owned.
“LTIP” means the Chesapeake Energy Corporation 2021 Long Term Incentive Plan.
“LNG” means liquefied natural gas.
“Marcellus Acquisition” means Chesapeake’s acquisition of Chief and associated non-operated interests held by affiliates of Radler and Tug Hill, which closed on March 9, 2022, with an effective date of January 1, 2022.
“MBbls” means thousand barrels.
“MMBbls” means million barrels.
“Mcf” means thousand cubic feet.
“Mcfe” means one thousand cubic feet of natural gas equivalent, with one barrel of oil or NGL converted to an equivalent volume of natural gas using the ratio of one barrel of oil or NGL to six Mcf of natural gas.
“MMcf” means million cubic feet.
“MMcfe” means million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.
“Net Acres or Net Wells” means the sum of the fractional working interests owned in gross acres or gross wells.
“New Common Stock” means the single class of common stock issued by Reorganized Chesapeake on the Effective Date.
“New Credit Facility” means the reserve-based credit facility entered into on December 9, 2022.
“NGL” means natural gas liquids.
“NYMEX” means New York Mercantile Exchange.
“OPEC+” means Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Plus.
“Petition Date” means June 28, 2020, the date on which the Debtors commenced the Chapter 11 Cases.
“Plan” means the Fifth Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its Debtor Affiliates, attached as Exhibit A to the Confirmation Order.
“Play” means a portion of the exploration and production cycle following the identification by geologists and geophysicists of areas with potential natural gas, oil and NGL reserves.
“Present Value of Estimated Future Net Revenues or PV-10 (non-GAAP)” means the estimated future gross revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, net of estimated production and future development costs, using prices calculated as the average natural gas and oil price during the preceding 12-month period prior to the end of the current reporting period, (determined as the unweighted arithmetic average of prices on the first day of each month within the 12-month period) and costs in effect at the determination date (unless such costs are subject to change pursuant to contractual provisions), without giving effect to non-property related expenses such as general and administrative expenses, debt service and future income tax expense or to depreciation, depletion and amortization, discounted using an annual discount rate of 10%.
“Price Differential” means the difference in the price of natural gas, oil or NGL received at the sales point and the NYMEX price.
“Productive Well” means a well that is not a dry well. Productive wells include producing wells and wells that are mechanically capable of production.
“Proved Developed Reserves” means reserves that can be expected to be recovered through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is relatively minor compared to the cost of a new well.
“Proved Properties” means properties with proved reserves.
“Proved Reserves” has the meaning given to such term in Rule 4-10(a)(22) of Regulation S-X, which states in part proved natural gas and oil reserves are those quantities of natural gas and oil, which, by analysis of geoscience and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be economically producible – from a given date forward, from known reservoirs, and under existing economic conditions, operating methods, and government regulations – prior to the time at which contracts providing the right to operate expire, unless evidence indicates that renewal is reasonably certain, regardless of whether deterministic or probabilistic methods are used for the estimation.
“Proved Undeveloped Reserves (PUDs)” means proved reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required. Reserves on undrilled acreage are limited to those directly offsetting development spacing areas that are reasonably certain of production when drilled, unless evidence using reliable technology exists that establishes reasonable certainty of economic producibility at greater distances.
“Put Option Premium” means a nonrefundable aggregate fee of $60 million, which represents 10 percent of the Rights Offering Amount, payable to the Backstop Parties in accordance with, and subject to the terms of the Backstop Commitment Agreement based on their respective backstop commitment percentages at the time such payment is made.
“Radler” means Radler 2000 Limited Partnership.
“Reservoir” means a porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible natural gas and/or oil that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.
“Rights Offering” means the New Common Stock rights offering for the Rights Offering Amount consummated by the Debtors on the Effective Date.
“SEC” means United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Second Lien Notes” means the 11.50% senior notes due 2025 issued by Chesapeake pursuant to the Second Lien Notes Indenture.
“Second Lien Notes Claim” means any Claim on account of the Second Lien Notes.
“SOFR” means a rate equal to the secured overnight financing rate as administered by the SOFR Administrator, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (or a successor administrator of the secured overnight financing rate).
“Southwestern” means Southwestern Energy Company.
“Southwestern Merger” means Chesapeake’s planned merger with Southwestern, which, subject to satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including certain regulatory approvals, is targeted to close in the second quarter of 2024.
“Standardized Measure” means the discounted future net cash flows relating to proved reserves based on the means of the estimated future gross revenue to be generated from the production of proved reserves, net of estimated production and future development costs, using prices calculated as the average natural gas and oil price during the preceding 12-month period prior to the end of the current reporting period (determined as the unweighted arithmetic average of prices on the first day of each month within the 12-month period). The standardized measure differs from the PV-10 measure only because the former includes the effects of estimated future income tax expenses.
“Tcf” means trillion cubic feet.
“Tcfe” means trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.
“Tranche A Loans” means the fully revolving loans made under and on the terms set forth under the Exit Credit Facility which were partially funded on the Effective Date. The Tranche A Loans were repaid in full in connection with our entry into the New Credit Facility.
“Tranche B Loans” means term loans made under and on the terms set forth under the Exit Credit Facility which were fully funded on the Effective Date. The Tranche B Loans were repaid in full in connection with our entry into the New Credit Facility.
“Tug Hill” means Tug Hill, Inc.
“Undeveloped Acreage” means acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of economic quantities of natural gas and oil regardless of whether the acreage contains proved reserves.
“Unproved Properties” means properties with no proved reserves.
“Vine” means Vine Energy Inc.
“Vine Acquisition” means Chesapeake’s acquisition of Vine, which closed on November 1, 2021.
“Warrants” means, collectively, the Class A Warrants, Class B Warrants and Class C Warrants.
“Working Interest” means the operating interest which gives the owner the right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities on the property and a share of production.
“WTI” means West Texas Intermediate.
“/Bbl” means per barrel.
“/Mcf” means per Mcf.
“/Mcfe” means per Mcfe.
“2021 Predecessor Period” means the period of January 1, 2021 through February 9, 2021.
“2021 Successor Period” means the period of February 10, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
“2022 Successor Period” means the year ended December 31, 2022.
“2023 Successor Period” means the year ended December 31, 2023.
| Forward-Looking Statements |
This report includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements include our current expectations or forecasts of future events, including matters relating to the pending Southwestern Merger, armed conflict and instability in Europe and the Middle East, along with the effects of the current global economic environment, and the impact of each on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, actions by, or disputes among or between, members of OPEC+ and other foreign oil-exporting countries, market factors, market prices, our ability to meet debt service requirements, our ability to continue to pay cash dividends, the amount and timing of any cash dividends and our ESG initiatives. Forward-looking and other statements in this Form 10-K regarding our environmental, social and other sustainability plans and goals are not an indication that these statements are necessarily material to investors or required to be disclosed in our filings with the SEC. In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking environmental, social and sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future. Forward-looking statements often address our expected future business, financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as "expect," “could,” “may,” "anticipate," "intend," "plan," “ability,” "believe," "seek," "see," "will," "would," “estimate,” “forecast,” "target," “guidance,” “outlook,” “opportunity” or “strategy.”
Although we believe the expectations and forecasts reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, they are inherently subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. No assurance can be given that such forward-looking statements will be correct or achieved or that the assumptions are accurate or will not change over time. Particular uncertainties that could cause our actual results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements include:
-
conservation measures and technological advances could reduce demand for natural gas and oil;
-
negative public perceptions of our industry;
-
competition in the natural gas and oil exploration and production industry;
-
the volatility of natural gas, oil and NGL prices, which are affected by general economic and business conditions, as well as increased demand for (and availability of) alternative fuels and electric vehicles;
-
risks from regional epidemics or pandemics and related economic turmoil, including supply chain constraints;
-
write-downs of our natural gas and oil asset carrying values due to low commodity prices;
-
significant capital expenditures are required to replace our reserves and conduct our business;
-
our ability to replace reserves and sustain production;
-
uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of natural gas, oil and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures;
-
drilling and operating risks and resulting liabilities;
-
our ability to generate profits or achieve targeted results in drilling and well operations;
-
leasehold terms expiring before production can be established;
-
risks from our commodity price risk management activities;
-
uncertainties, risks and costs associated with natural gas and oil operations;
-
our need to secure adequate supplies of water for our drilling operations and to dispose of or recycle the water used;
-
pipeline and gathering system capacity constraints and transportation interruptions;
-
our plans to participate in the LNG export industry;
-
terrorist activities and/or cyber-attacks adversely impacting our operations;
-
risks from failure to protect personal information and data and compliance with data privacy and security laws and regulations;
-
disruption of our business by natural or human causes beyond our control;
-
a deterioration in general economic, business or industry conditions;
-
the impact of inflation and commodity price volatility, including as a result of armed conflict and instability in Europe and the Middle East, along with the effects of the current global economic environment, on our business, financial condition, employees, contractors, vendors and the global demand for natural gas and oil and on U.S. and global financial markets;
-
our inability to access the capital markets on favorable terms;
-
the limitations on our financial flexibility due to our level of indebtedness and restrictive covenants from our indebtedness;
-
our actual financial results after emergence from bankruptcy may not be comparable to our historical financial information;
-
risks related to acquisitions or dispositions, or potential acquisitions or dispositions, including risks related to the pending Southwestern Merger, such as the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement for the Southwestern Merger; the possibility that our stockholders may not approve the issuance of our common stock in connection with the proposed transaction; the possibility that the stockholders of Southwestern may not approve the merger agreement; the risk that we or Southwestern may be unable to obtain governmental and regulatory approvals required for the proposed transaction, or required governmental and regulatory approvals may delay the Southwestern Merger or result in the imposition of conditions that could cause the parties to abandon the Southwestern Merger; the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all; risks related to limitation on our ability to pursue alternatives to the Southwestern Merger; risks related to change in control or other provisions in certain agreements that may be triggered upon completion of the Southwestern Merger; risks related to the merger agreement’s restrictions on business activities prior to the effective time of the Southwestern Merger; risks related to loss of management personnel, other key employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, landlords, joint venture partners and other business partners following the Southwestern Merger; risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of our common stock or Southwestern’s common stock; the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction; the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction; the risk that problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; and the risk that the combined company may be unable to achieve synergies or other anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies or benefits;
-
our ability to achieve and maintain ESG certifications, goals and commitments;
-
legislative, regulatory and ESG initiatives, addressing environmental concerns, including initiatives addressing the impact of global climate change or further regulating hydraulic fracturing, methane emissions, flaring or water disposal;
-
federal and state tax proposals affecting our industry;
-
risks related to an annual limitation on the utilization of our tax attributes, which is expected to be triggered upon the completion of the Southwestern Merger, as well as trading in our New Common Stock, additional issuance of New Common Stock, and certain other stock transactions, which could lead to an additional, potentially more restrictive, annual limitation; and
-
other factors that are described under Risk Factors in Item 1A of Part I of this Form 10-K.
We caution you not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this report, which speak only as of the filing date, and we undertake no obligation to update this information. We urge you to carefully review and consider the disclosures in this report and our other filings with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Unless the context otherwise requires, references to “Chesapeake,” the “Company,” “us,” “we” and “our” in this report are to Chesapeake Energy Corporation together with its subsidiaries. Our principal executive offices are located at 6100 North Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, and our main telephone number at that location is (405) 848-8000.
| Our Business |
We are an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of properties to produce natural gas, oil and NGL from underground reservoirs. We own a large portfolio of onshore U.S. unconventional natural gas assets, including interests in approximately 5,000 gross natural gas wells.
On January 10, 2024, Chesapeake and Southwestern entered into an all-stock merger agreement. Southwestern is an independent energy company engaged in development, exploration and production activities, including related marketing activities, within its operating areas in the Marcellus and Haynesville shale plays. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, at the effective time of the Southwestern Merger, each eligible share of Southwestern common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be automatically converted into the right to receive 0.0867 of a share of Chesapeake’s common stock. Our Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of Southwestern both approved the merger agreement. Subject to the approval of our shareholders and Southwestern shareholders, regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions, the Southwestern Merger is targeted to close in the second quarter of 2024.
During 2023, we completed our exit from Eagle Ford through three separate divestiture transactions, with aggregate proceeds from these transactions exceeding $3.5 billion, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
On March 25, 2022, we sold our Powder River Basin assets in Wyoming to Continental Resources, Inc. for approximately $450 million.
On March 9, 2022, we completed our acquisition of Chief, Radler and associated non-operated interests held by affiliates of Tug Hill. Chief, Radler and Tug Hill held producing assets and an inventory of premium drilling locations in the Marcellus Shale in Northeast Pennsylvania.
On November 1, 2021, we completed our acquisition of Vine, an energy company focused on the development of natural gas properties in stacked Haynesville and Mid-Bossier shale plays in Northwest Louisiana.
On June 28, 2020, we and certain of our subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the Bankruptcy Court. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the Plan in a bench ruling on January 13, 2021 and entered the Confirmation Order on January 16, 2021. The Debtors emerged from bankruptcy on February 9, 2021. Upon emergence, all existing equity was canceled and New Common Stock was issued to the previous holders of our FLLO Term Loan Facility, Second Lien Notes, senior unsecured notes and certain general unsecured creditors whose claims were impaired as a result of our bankruptcy, as well as to other parties as set forth in the Plan, including to other parties participating in a $600 million rights offering. Upon emergence from bankruptcy, we adopted fresh start accounting, which resulted in us becoming a new entity for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements on or after February 9, 2021 are not comparable to the consolidated financial statements prior to that date. To facilitate our discussion in this report, we refer to the post-emergence reorganized company as the “Successor” and the pre-emergence company as the “Predecessor.” See Note 2 and Note 3 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for further discussion of our bankruptcy, the resulting reorganization and fresh start accounting.
| Information About Us |
We make available, free of charge on our website at chk.com, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. From time to time, we also post announcements, updates, events, investor information and presentations on our website in addition to copies of all recent news releases. Documents and information on our website are not incorporated by reference herein.
The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including Chesapeake, that file electronically with the SEC.
| Business Strategy |
Our business strategy is to create shareholder value through the responsible development of our significant resource plays, while continuing to be a leading provider of affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy to markets in need.
Superior Capital Returns. We consistently focus on optimizing the development of our large resource base with a prioritization of generating high cash returns on capital invested. Our drive toward continuous improvement through engineering innovation and planning enhances margins for our shareholders.
Deep, Attractive Inventory. We hold leading positions in each of the two premier natural gas fields in the U.S. offering premium rock, returns and runway. Our prioritization of best-in-class execution further unlocks these resources to the benefit of our stakeholders.
Sustainability Leadership. We are committed to protecting our country’s natural resources and reducing our environmental footprint. We continue to foster a focus on environmental excellence through a culture of stewardship and sustainability among our employees and business partners. We recognize that ownership and accountability are key to helping ensure our work sites are safe and protective of the environment.
Premier Balance Sheet. We believe that maintaining low net leverage is integral to our business strategy and will allow us to maintain lower fixed costs, improve our margins and maintain the flexibility of our capital program. We further de-risk our margins and cash flows with prudent natural gas hedging that aims to reduce the impact of volatility.
| Operating Areas |
We focus our acquisition, exploration, development and production efforts in the geographic operating areas described below.
Marcellus - Northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania.
Haynesville - Haynesville/Bossier Shales in Northwestern Louisiana.
| Well Data |
As of December 31, 2023, we held an interest in approximately 5,000 gross productive gas wells, including 3,300 (1,900 net) wells in which we held a working interest and 1,700 wells in which we held an overriding or royalty interest. Of the 3,300 wells in which we held a working interest, we operated 2,800 gross wells and held a non-operating working interest in 500 gross wells. We also completed 166 gross (108 net) wells as operator and participated in another 28 gross (1 net) wells completed by other operators. We operate approximately 98% of our current daily production volumes.
| Drilling Activity |
The following table sets forth the wells we completed or participated in during the periods indicated. In the table, "gross" refers to the total wells in which we had a working interest and "net" refers to gross wells multiplied by our working interest:
| | | | | |
Showing the first 8K of 69K characters. Open the full section
Item 1A. Risk Factors
There are numerous factors that affect our business and results of operations, many of which are beyond our control. The following is a description of factors that we consider to be material and that might cause our future results to differ materially from those currently expected. The risks described below are not the only risks facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial position, results of operations, cash flows, reserves and/or our ability to pay our debts and other liabilities could suffer, the trading price and liquidity of our securities could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment in our securities.
| Summary Risk Factors |
| Risks Related to Operating our Business |
-
Conservation measures and technological advances could reduce demand for natural gas and oil.
-
Negative public perception regarding us or our industry could have an adverse effect on our operations.
-
Risks related to potential acquisitions or dispositions may adversely affect our business.
-
The gas and oil exploration and production industry is very competitive;
-
Natural gas, oil and NGL prices fluctuate widely, and lower prices for an extended period of time are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business.
-
Regional epidemics or pandemics and related economic turmoil, including supply chain constraints, have affected, and could in future adversely affect us.
-
If commodity prices fall or drilling efforts are unsuccessful, we may be required to record write-downs of the carrying value of our natural gas and oil properties.
-
Significant capital expenditures are required to replace our reserves and conduct our business.
-
If we are not able to replace reserves, we may not be able to sustain production.
-
The actual quantities of and future net revenues from our proved reserves may be less than our estimates.
-
Our development and exploratory drilling efforts and our well operations may not be profitable or achieve our targeted returns.
-
Certain of our undeveloped properties are subject to leases that will expire over the next several years unless production is established on units containing the acreage or the leases are renewed.
-
Our commodity price risk management activities may limit the benefit we would receive from increases in commodity prices, may require us to provide collateral for derivative liabilities and involve risk that our counterparties may be unable to satisfy their obligations to us.
-
Natural gas and oil operations are uncertain and involve substantial costs and risks.
-
Our ability to produce natural gas, oil and NGL economically and in commercial quantities could be impaired if we are unable to acquire adequate supplies of water for our operations or are unable to dispose of or recycle the water we use economically and in an environmentally safe manner.
-
Our operations may be adversely affected by pipeline, trucking and gathering system capacity constraints and may be subject to interruptions that could adversely affect our cash flow.
-
Our business strategy is increasingly focused on capitalizing on the growing U.S. LNG export market, a highly regulated and capital intensive industry with a number of inherent commercial risks. U.S. LNG exports have helped drive domestic demand for natural gas, and, as a natural-gas producer, we could be materially and adversely impacted by a deterioration in the U.S. LNG export industry, which could in turn reduce demand for natural gas. In addition, we may seek to more directly participate in the LNG market through direct marketing arrangements with LNG export facilities and/or end users, which could expose us to additional commercial risks associated with the global LNG markets.
-
Cyber-attacks targeting systems and infrastructure used by the gas and oil industry and related regulations may adversely impact our operations and, if we or our third-party providers are unable to obtain and maintain adequate protection for our key systems and data, our business may be harmed.
-
We collect, process, store and use personal information and other data, and our actual or perceived failure to protect such information and data or comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations could damage our reputation and brand and harm our business and operating results.
-
Our operations could be disrupted by natural or human causes beyond our control.
-
A deterioration in general economic, political, business or industry conditions would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.
-
Military and other armed conflicts, including terrorist activities, and related price volatility and geopolitical instability could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
| Financial Risks Related to our Business |
-
We have significant capital needs, and our ability to access the capital and credit markets to raise capital on favorable terms is limited by industry conditions.
-
Restrictive covenants in certain of our debt agreements could limit our growth and our ability to finance our operations, fund our capital needs, respond to changing conditions and engage in other business activities that may be in our best interests.
-
Our actual financial results after emergence from bankruptcy may not be comparable to our historical financial information as a result of the implementation of the Plan and the transactions contemplated thereby.
| Risks Related to the Southwestern Merger |
-
The Southwestern Merger may not be completed on the terms or timeline currently contemplated, or at all. Failure to complete or any delays in completing the Southwestern Merger could negatively impact the price of shares of our common stock, as well as our future business and financial results. Furthermore, the Southwestern Merger agreement subjects the Company to certain restrictions prior to the effective time of the Merger that could prevent the company from pursuing certain business opportunities.
-
The synergies attributable to the Southwestern Merger, if consummated, may vary from expectations, and we will be subject to business uncertainties for a period of time after the closing of the Southwestern Merger, if consummated, which could adversely affect the combined company. These uncertainties could include, but may not be limited to, loss of key personnel, retention of customer or supplier contracts or relationships, incurrence of significant indebtedness, and litigation in connection with the Southwestern Merger.
| Legal and Regulatory Risks |
-
We are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which can change and could adversely impact our business.
-
Environmental matters and related costs can be significant.
-
Increasing attention to ESG matters and our ability to achieve and maintain ESG certifications, goals and commitments may impact our business, financial results or stock price.
-
The taxation of independent producers is subject to change, and changes in tax law could increase our cost of doing business.
-
The completion of the Southwestern Merger is anticipated to trigger an annual limitation on the utilization of our tax attributes, reducing their ability to offset future taxable income, which may result in an increase to income tax liabilities. In addition, trading in our New Common Stock, additional issuance of New Common Stock, and certain other stock transactions could lead to an additional, potentially more restrictive, annual limitation.
**[TABLE OF C
Showing the first 8K of 113K characters. Open the full section
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy
We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information.
We design and assess our cybersecurity risk management program guided by the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use these as a guide to help us identify, assess and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.
Our cybersecurity risk management program is integrated into our overall enterprise risk management program, and shares common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the enterprise risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.
Our cybersecurity risk management program includes, but is not limited to, the following key elements:
-
risk assessments designed to help identify material cybersecurity risks to our critical systems and information;
-
a security team principally responsible for managing our cybersecurity risk assessment processes, our security controls, and our response to cybersecurity incidents;
-
the use of external service providers, where appropriate, to assess, test or otherwise assist with aspects of our security processes;
-
systems for protecting information technology systems and monitoring for suspicious events, such as threat protection, firewall and anti-virus software;
-
cybersecurity awareness training of our employees and contractors, including incident response personnel, and senior management;
-
a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents; and
-
a third-party risk management process for service providers, suppliers, software, and vendors who access our data and/or systems.
We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. We face certain ongoing risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. See Item 1A. Risk Factors “Cyber-attacks targeting systems and infrastructure used by the gas and oil industry and related regulations may adversely impact our operations and, if we or our third-party providers are unable to obtain and maintain adequate protection for our key systems and data, our business may be harmed.”
Cybersecurity Governance
Our Board of Directors considers cybersecurity risk as a critical part of the enterprise and its risk oversight function and has delegated to its Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity and other information technology risks. Our Audit Committee oversees management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program.
Our Audit Committee receives quarterly updates from management on our cybersecurity risks. In addition, management updates our Audit Committee, as necessary, regarding any material cybersecurity incidents.
Our Audit Committee reports to the full Board of Directors regarding its activities, including those related to cybersecurity. Our Board of Directors also receives briefings from management on our cyber risk management program. Board members receive presentations on cybersecurity topics from information security management, internal security staff, our internal audit group and external experts as part of our Board of Director’s continuing education on topics that impact public companies.
Our Cybersecurity Manager is responsible for assessing and managing risks from cybersecurity threats, our overall cybersecurity risk management program and supervises both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our retained external cybersecurity consultants. Our Cybersecurity Manager is responsible for reporting material incidents to our Cybersecurity Committee that includes our Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and our Chief Information Officer. Our internal cybersecurity team has over 50 years of combined experience in information security and maintains several cybersecurity certificates including but not limited to CISSP, CISM, SRISC, GSEC, and GCFE. Our Cybersecurity team regularly participates with private energy industry and federal security working groups and organizations.
Our management team stays informed about and monitors efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, including, as appropriate, briefings from internal security personnel, threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, such as external consultants engaged by us, and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in the IT environment.
Item 2. Properties
Information regarding our properties is included in Item 1. Business and in the Supplementary Information included in Item 8 of Part II of this report.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings
We are involved in various regulatory proceedings, lawsuits and disputes arising in the ordinary course of our business operations, including commercial disputes, personal injury claims, royalty claims, property damage claims and contract actions. The majority of the legal proceedings that were in existence prior to the Petition Date were settled during the Chapter 11 Cases or will be resolved in connection with the claims reconciliation process before the Bankruptcy Court. Any allowed claim related to such prepetition litigation will be treated in accordance with the Plan.
See Note 7 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for information regarding our estimation and provision for potential losses related to litigation and regulatory proceedings. Based on management’s current assessment, we are of the opinion that no pending or threatened lawsuit or dispute relating to our business operations is likely to have a material adverse effect on our future consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The final resolution of such matters could exceed amounts accrued, however, and actual results could differ materially from management’s estimates.
Environmental Contingencies
The nature of the natural gas and oil business carries with it certain environmental risks for us and our subsidiaries. We have implemented various policies, programs, procedures, training and audits to reduce and mitigate such environmental risks. We conduct periodic reviews, on a company-wide basis, to assess changes in our environmental risk profile. Environmental reserves are established for environmental liabilities for which economic losses are probable and reasonably estimable. We manage our exposure to environmental liabilities in acquisitions by using an evaluation process that seeks to identify pre-existing contamination or compliance concerns and address the potential liability. Depending on the extent of an identified environmental concern, we may, among other things, exclude a property from the transaction, require the seller to remediate the property to our satisfaction in an acquisition or agree to assume liability for the remediation of the property.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
The information concerning mine safety violations and other regulatory matters required by Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K (17CFR 229.104) is included in Exhibit 95.1 to this Form 10-K. On March 20, 2023, we divested our mining assets to WildFire Energy I LLC.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
| Common Stock |
Upon our emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 9, 2021, our then-authorized common stock and preferred stock were canceled and released under the Plan without receiving any recovery on account thereof. In accordance with the Plan confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court on February 9, 2021, we issued 97,097,081 shares of New Common Stock of the Successor, which are listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol CHK. In addition, on February 9, 2021, we issued 11,111,111 Class A Warrants, 12,345,679 Class B Warrants and 9,768,527 Class C Warrants, each of which were exercisable for one share of common stock per warrant at the initial exercise prices of $27.63, $32.13 and $36.18 per share, respectively. The warrants are immediately exercisable and will expire on February 9, 2026. For more information regarding our emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and our Plan of Reorganization, see Note 2 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report. Additionally, more information on our New Common Stock and Warrants can be found in Note 12 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report.
| Dividends |
We declared the first quarterly dividend on our New Common Stock in the second quarter of 2021, which consisted of a base dividend per share. In March 2022, we adopted a variable return program that resulted in the payment of an additional variable dividend equal to the sum of Adjusted Free Cash Flow from the prior quarter less the base quarterly dividend, multiplied by 50%. The declaration and payment of any future dividend is subject to the approval of our Board of Directors in its discretion. Since the initial base dividend declared during the second quarter of 2021, we have incrementally increased the base dividend per share. For additional information on our dividends, see Note 12 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report.
| Repurchases of Equity Securities; Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
On December 2, 2021, we announced that our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1.0 billion in aggregate value of our common stock and/or warrants from time to time. In June 2022, our Board of Directors authorized an increase in the size of the share repurchase program from $1.0 billion to $2.0 billion in aggregate value of our common stock and/or warrants. The repurchase authorization permits repurchases on a discretionary basis as determined by management, subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements, available liquidity, compliance with the Company’s debt agreements and other appropriate factors. The share repurchase program expired on December 31, 2023. The following table provides information regarding purchases of our common stock made by us during the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
| Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 1 - October 31 | 149,050 | $ | 85.95 | 149,050 | $ | 610 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1 - November 30 | 348,600 | $ | 82.54 | 348,600 | $ | 581 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| December 1 - December 31 | 129,797 | $ | 76.13 | 129,797 | $ | — | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 627,447 | $ | 82.03 | 627,447 |
| Stockholders |
As of February 15, 2024, there were approximately 141 holders of record of our common stock.
Item 6. Reserved
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is intended to provide a reader of our financial statements with management’s perspective on our financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and certain other factors that may affect our future results. This information is intended to provide investors with an understanding of our past performance, current financial condition and outlook for the future and should be read in conjunction with Item 8 of Part II of this report.
| Introduction |
We are an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of properties to produce natural gas, oil and NGL from underground reservoirs. We own a large portfolio of onshore U.S. unconventional natural gas assets, including interests in approximately 5,000 natural gas wells as of December 31, 2023. Our natural gas resource plays are the Marcellus Shale in the northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania (“Marcellus”) and the Haynesville/Bossier Shales in northwestern Louisiana (“Haynesville”). Our liquids-rich resource play was in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas (“Eagle Ford”). During 2023, we completed our exit from Eagle Ford through three separate divestiture transactions, with aggregate proceeds from these three transactions exceeding $3.5 billion, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
Our strategy is to create shareholder value through the responsible development of our significant resource plays while continuing to be a leading provider of affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy to markets in need. We continue to focus on improving margins through operating efficiencies and financial discipline and improving our ESG performance. To accomplish these goals, we intend to allocate our human resources and capital expenditures to projects we believe offer the highest cash return on capital invested, to deploy leading drilling and completion technology throughout our portfolio, and to take advantage of acquisition and divestiture opportunities to strengthen our portfolio. We also intend to continue to dedicate capital to projects that reduce the environmental impact of our natural gas and oil producing activities. We continue to seek opportunities to reduce cash costs (production, gathering, processing and transportation and general and administrative), through operational efficiencies and improving our production volumes from existing wells.
Leading a responsible energy future is foundational to Chesapeake's success. Our core values and culture demand we continuously evaluate the environmental impact of our operations and work diligently to improve our ESG performance across all facets of our Company. Our path to answering the call for affordable, reliable, lower carbon energy begins with our goal to achieve net zero GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 2035. To meet this challenge, we have set meaningful goals including:
-
Eliminate routine flaring from all new wells completed from 2021 forward, and enterprise-wide by 2025;
-
Reduce our methane intensity to 0.02% by 2025 (achieved approximately 0.02% in 2023 for our natural gas assets); and
-
Reduce our GHG intensity to 3.0 metric tons CO2 equivalent per thousand barrel of oil equivalent by 2025 (achieved approximately 2.1 in 2023 for our natural gas assets).
In July 2021, we announced our plan to receive independent certification of our natural gas production under the MiQ methane standard and EO100™ Standard for Responsible Energy Development. By the end of 2022, we had received certifications for all our operated gas assets in Haynesville and Marcellus as responsibly sourced gas. In 2023, we continued to maintain these independent certifications. The independent certification of our production as responsibly sourced provides a verified approach to tracking our progress towards our commitment to reduce our methane intensity, as well as supporting our overall objective of achieving net-zero Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 2035.
| Recent Developments |
Merger Agreement
On January 10, 2024, Chesapeake and Southwestern entered into an all-stock merger agreement. Southwestern is an independent energy company engaged in development, exploration and production activities, including related marketing activities, within its operating areas in the Marcellus and Haynesville shale plays. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, at the effective time of the Southwestern Merger, each eligible share of Southwestern common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time will be automatically converted into the right to receive 0.0867 of a share of Chesapeake’s common stock. Our Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of Southwestern both approved the merger agreement. Subject to the approval of our shareholders and Southwestern shareholders, regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions, the Southwestern Merger is targeted to close in the second quarter of 2024.
Acquisitions
On March 9, 2022, we completed our Marcellus Acquisition pursuant to definitive agreements with Chief, Radler and Tug Hill, dated January 24, 2022. On November 1, 2021, we completed our Vine Acquisition pursuant to a definitive agreement with Vine dated August 10, 2021. These transactions strengthen Chesapeake’s competitive position, meaningfully increasing our operating cash flows and adding high quality producing assets and a deep inventory of premium drilling locations, while preserving the strength of our balance sheet.
Divestitures
On March 25, 2022, we closed the sale of our Powder River Basin assets in Wyoming to Continental Resources, Inc. for $450 million in cash, subject to post-closing adjustments, which resulted in the recognition of a gain of approximately $293 million.
On January 17, 2023, we entered into an agreement to sell a portion of our Eagle Ford assets to WildFire Energy I LLC for approximately $1.425 billion, subject to post-closing adjustments. This transaction closed on March 20, 2023 (with an effective date of October 1, 2022) and resulted in the recognition of a gain of approximately $337 million.
On February 17, 2023, we entered into an agreement to sell a portion of our remaining Eagle Ford assets to INEOS Energy for approximately $1.4 billion, subject to post-closing adjustments. This transaction closed on April 28, 2023 (with an effective date of October 1, 2022) and resulted in the recognition of a gain of approximately $470 million.
On August 11, 2023, we entered into an agreement to sell the final portion of our remaining Eagle Ford assets to SilverBow Resources, Inc. (“SilverBow”) for approximately $700 million, subject to post-closing adjustments. Subject to the satisfaction of certain commodity price triggers, we may receive up to an additional $50 million cash consideration shortly following the first anniversary of the transaction close date. This transaction closed on November 30, 2023 (with an effective date of February 1, 2023) and resulted in the recognition of a gain of approximately $140 million.
LNG Agreement
On February 13, 2024, we announced our entrance into an LNG export deal that includes executed Sales and Purchase Agreements (“SPA”) for long-term liquefaction offtake. Under the SPAs, we will purchase approximately 0.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum from Delfin LNG LLC at a Henry Hub price with a contract targeted start date in 2028, then deliver to Gunvor Group Ltd on a free on board basis with the sales price linked to the Japan Korea Market for a period of 20 years.
Investments - Momentum Sustainable Ventures LLC
During the fourth quarter of 2022, we entered into an agreement wi
Showing the first 8K of 96K characters. Open the full section
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
The primary objective of the following information is to provide forward-looking quantitative and qualitative information about our exposure to market risk. The term market risk relates to our risk of loss arising from adverse changes in natural gas, oil and NGL prices and interest rates. These disclosures are not meant to be precise indicators of expected future losses, but rather indicators of reasonably possible losses. The forward-looking information provides indicators of how we view and manage our ongoing market risk exposures.
Commodity Price Risk
Our results of operations and cash flows are impacted by changes in market prices for natural gas, oil and NGL, which have historically been volatile. To mitigate a portion of our exposure to adverse price changes, we enter into various derivative instruments. Our natural gas, oil and NGL derivative activities, when combined with our sales of natural gas, oil and NGL, allow us to predict with greater certainty the revenue we will receive. We believe our derivative instruments continue to be highly effective in achieving our risk management objectives.
We determine the fair value of our derivative instruments utilizing established index prices, volatility curves and discount factors. These estimates are compared to counterparty valuations for reasonableness. Derivative transactions are also subject to the risk that counterparties will be unable to meet their obligations. This non-performance risk is considered in the valuation of our derivative instruments, but to date has not had a material impact on the values of our derivatives. Future risk related to counterparties not being able to meet their obligations has been partially mitigated under our commodity hedging arrangements that require counterparties to post collateral if their obligations to us are in excess of defined thresholds. The values we report in our financial statements are as of a point in time and subsequently change as these estimates are revised to reflect actual results, changes in market conditions and other factors. See Note 15 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for further discussion of the fair value measurements associated with our derivatives.
For the 2023 Successor Period, natural gas, oil and NGL revenues, excluding any effect of our derivative instruments, were $2,853 million, $596 million, and $98 million, respectively. Based on production, natural gas, oil and NGL revenue for the 2023 Successor Period would have increased or decreased by approximately $285 million, $60 million, and $10 million, respectively, for each 10% increase or decrease in prices. As of December 31, 2023, the fair value of our natural gas derivatives was a net asset of $687 million. As of December 31, 2023, we did not have any open oil or NGL derivative positions. A 10% increase in forward natural gas prices would decrease the valuation of natural gas derivatives by approximately $188 million, while a 10% decrease would increase the valuation by $191 million. This fair value change assumes volatility based on prevailing market parameters at December 31, 2023. Additionally, should oil prices not meet the average target prices specified with the contingent payment from SilverBow, we may not receive any payment from the up to $50 million contingent consideration arrangement. See Note 15 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for further information on our open derivative positions, including information about the contingent consideration arrangement.
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to interest rate changes relates primarily to borrowings under our New Credit Facility for the 2023 Successor Period, our New Credit Facility and Exit Credit Facility for the 2022 Successor Period, the Exit Credit Facility for the 2021 Successor Period and the DIP Facility for the 2021 Predecessor Period. Interest is payable on borrowings under each respective credit facility based on floating rates. See Note 6 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for additional information. As of December 31, 2023, we did not have any outstanding borrowings under our New Credit Facility.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Chesapeake Energy Corporation
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Chesapeake Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries (Successor) (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations, of comprehensive income, of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for the years then ended and for the period from February 10, 2021 through December 31, 2021, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended and for the period from February 10, 2021 through December 31, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis of Accounting
As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively the “Debtors”) filed voluntary petitions on June 28, 2020 with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas for relief under the provisions of Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Bankruptcy Court confirmed the Debtors’ joint plan of reorganization on January 16, 2021 and the Debtors emerged from bankruptcy on February 9, 2021. In connection with its emergence from bankruptcy, the Company adopted fresh start accountin
Showing the first 8K of 267K characters. Open the full section
Item 9. Changes In and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
As of the end of the period covered by this report, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b). Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded as of December 31, 2023 that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
It is the responsibility of the management of Chesapeake Energy Corporation to establish and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Management utilized the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission's Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) in conducting the required assessment of effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Management has performed an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting and has determined the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in its report which appears herein.
| /s/ DOMENIC J. DELL'OSSO, JR. | ||||||||||||||
| Domenic J. Dell'Osso, Jr. | ||||||||||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ MOHIT SINGH | ||||||||||||||
| Mohit Singh | ||||||||||||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||||||||||||||
| February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||||
Item 9B. Other Information
During the three months ended December 31, 2023, no director or officer of the Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement”, as each term is defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The names of executive officers of the Company and their ages, titles and biographies as of the date hereof are incorporated by reference from Item 1 of Part I of this report. The other information called for by this Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to the definitive proxy statement to be filed by Chesapeake pursuant to Regulation 14A of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 no later than 120 days following the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2024 Proxy Statement”).
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information called for by this Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to the 2024 Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information called for by this Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to the 2024 Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information called for by this Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to the 2024 Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information called for by this Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to the 2024 Proxy Statement.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a) The following financial statements, financial statement schedules and exhibits are filed as a part of this report:
1.Financial Statements. Chesapeake's consolidated financial statements are included in Item 8 of Part II of this report. Reference is made to the accompanying Index to Financial Statements.
2.Financial Statement Schedules. No financial statement schedules are applicable or required.
3.Exhibits. The exhibits listed below in the Index of Exhibits are filed, furnished or incorporated by reference pursuant to the requirements of Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
INDEX OF EXHIBITS
| 101 CAL | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101 DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101 LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document. | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101 PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data file (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * | Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The registrant hereby undertakes to furnish supplemental copies of any of the omitted schedules upon request by the SEC. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † | Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PLEASE NOTE: Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we have filed or incorporated by reference the agreements referenced above as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The agreements have been filed to provide investors with information regarding their respective terms. The agreements are not intended to provide any other factual information about Chesapeake Energy Corporation or its business or operations. In particular, the assertions embodied in any representations, warranties and covenants contained in the agreements may be subject to qualifications with respect to knowledge and materiality different from those applicable to investors and may be qualified by information in confidential disclosure schedules not included with the exhibits. These disclosure schedules may contain information that modifies, qualifies and creates exceptions to the representations, warranties and covenants set forth in the agreements. Moreover, certain representations, warranties and covenants in the agreements may have been used for the purpose of allocating risk between the parties, rather than establishing matters as facts. In addition, information concerning the subject matter of the representations, warranties and covenants may have changed after the date of the respective agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in our public disclosures. Accordingly, investors should not rely on the representations, warranties and covenants in the agreements as characterizations of the actual state of facts about Chesapeake Energy Corporation or its business or operations on the date hereof. |
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
Not applicable.
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION | |||||||||||
| Date: February 21, 2024 | By: | /s/ DOMENIC J. DELL’OSSO, JR. | |||||||||
| Domenic J. Dell’Osso, Jr. | |||||||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Domenic J. Dell'Osso, Jr. his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any or all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all, exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each, and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, or the substitute or substitutes of any or all of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Capacity | Date | ||||||||||||
| /s/ DOMENIC J. DELL’OSSO, JR. | President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Domenic J. Dell’Osso, Jr. | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ MOHIT SINGH | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Mohit Singh | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ GREGORY M. LARSON | Vice President - Accounting & Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Gregory M. Larson | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ MICHAEL WICHTERICH | Chairman of the Board | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Michael Wichterich | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ TIMOTHY S. DUNCAN | Director | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Timothy S. Duncan | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ BENJAMIN C. DUSTER, IV | Director | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Benjamin C. Duster, IV | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ SARAH A. EMERSON | Director | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Sarah A. Emerson | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ MATTHEW M. GALLAGHER | Director | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Matthew M. Gallagher | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ BRIAN STECK | Director | February 21, 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Brian Steck |