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. Definitions of oil and gas industry terms appearing in this report can be found under Glossary of Oil and Gas Terms beginning on page 18.

Our Business

We own interests in approximately 22,700 oil and natural gas wells and produced an average of approximately 575 mboe per day in the 2016 fourth quarter, net to our interest. We have a large and geographically diverse resource base of onshore U.S. unconventional natural gas and liquids assets. We have leading positions in the liquids-rich resource plays of the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Utica Shale in Ohio, the Anadarko Basin in northwestern Oklahoma and the stacked pay in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. Our natural gas resource plays are the Haynesville/Bossier Shales in northwestern Louisiana and East Texas and the Marcellus Shale in the northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania. We also own an oil and natural gas marketing business.

The Company's estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2016, were 1.708 bboe , an increase of 204 mmboe or 14% , from 1.504 bboe as of December 31, 2015. The increase in estimated proved reserves included 70 mmboe of downward revisions resulting primarily from lower average oil and natural gas prices offset by 580 mmboe of extensions and discoveries and 113 mmboe of upward revisions resulting from changes to previous estimates as further discussed below in Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Reserves and in Supplemental Disclosures About Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Producing Activities included in Item 8 of Part II of this report. In 2016, we produced 233 mmboe , divested 241 mmboe and acquired 55 mmboe of estimated proved reserves. Before basis differential adjustments, oil and natural gas prices used in estimating proved reserves decreased as of December 31, 2016, compared to December 31, 2015, using the trailing 12-month average prices required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Oil prices decreased by $7.53 per bbl or 15% , to $42.75 per bbl from $50.28 per bbl . Natural gas prices decreased $0.09 per mcf , or 3% , to $2.49 per mcf from $2.58 per mcf . Proved developed reserves represented 70% of our proved reserves as of December 31, 2016, compared to 84% as of December 31, 2015.

Our daily production for 2016 averaged 635 mboe , a decrease of 44 mboe , or 6% , from the 679 mboe of daily production for 2015, and consisted of approximately 90,800 bbls of oil ( 14% on an oil equivalent basis), approximately 2.9 bcf of natural gas ( 75% on an oil equivalent basis) and approximately 66,700 bbls of NGL ( 11% on an oil equivalent basis). Our average daily oil production decreased by 20% year over year primarily as a result of the sale of certain of our Mid-Continent assets in 2015 and 2016 as well as a significant reduction in drilling activity. Natural gas production decreased by 2% and NGL production decreased by 13% .

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.

Business Strategy

Chesapeake’s strategy is to create shareholder value through the development of our significant positions in premier U.S. onshore resource plays. In addition, we continue to focus our financial strategy on reducing debt and improving margins. We apply financial discipline to all aspects of our business with goals of increasing financial and operational flexibility. Our capital program is focused on investments that can improve our cash flow generating ability regardless of the commodity price environment. We plan to increase our capital expenditures in 2017 over 2016 levels to capture high rate of return opportunities in our oil and natural gas portfolio. These opportunities are a result of improved capital and operating efficiencies, including improved well performance, decreased drilling and completion costs per foot and decreased operating expenditures. We expect our anticipated production increases in the 2017 second half and into 2018 will position us to balance capital expenditures and operating cash flow in 2018 and beyond.

In 2016, we amended our senior secured revolving bank credit facility, issued a $1.5 billion secured term loan, issued $1.25 billion in 5.5% convertible senior notes due 2026, issued $1.0 billion in unsecured 8.00% senior notes due 2025 and sold approximately $1.4 billion of assets that did not fit our strategic priorities to increase liquidity and retire or refinance near-term maturities of debt. In addition, in 2016 and through February 24, 2017, we strengthened our balance sheet and improved our liquidity position by refinancing, exchanging or repurchasing, where possible at a discount, $4.104 billion of our debt and $1.4 billion liquidation value of our preferred equity instruments.

Our substantial inventory of hydrocarbon resources, including our undeveloped acreage, provides a strong foundation to create future value. Our focus on efficiencies and operational improvements has led to increased well productivity from longer laterals, improved completion techniques and base production improvements. Building on our strong and diverse asset base through increasing production and cash flow and further delineating our emerging new development opportunities, we believe that our dedication to financial discipline, the flexibility of our capital program, and our continued focus on safety and environmental stewardship will provide opportunities to create value for Chesapeake and its stakeholders in 2017 and beyond.

Operating Divisions

Chesapeake focuses its exploration, development, acquisition and production efforts in the two geographic operating divisions described below.

Southern Division . Includes the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, the Anadarko Basin in northwestern Oklahoma, the Haynesville/Bossier Shales in northwestern Louisiana and East Texas and, prior to October 31, 2016, the Barnett Shale in the Fort Worth Basin in north central Texas.

Northern Division . Includes the Utica Shale in Ohio, the Marcellus Shale in the northern Appalachian Basin in Pennsylvania and the stacked pay in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.

Well Data

As of December 31, 2016, we held an interest in approximately 22,700 gross (8,800 net) productive wells, including 19,100 properties in which we held a working interest and 3,600 properties in which we held an overriding or royalty interest. Of the wells in which we had a working interest, 14,500 gross (6,700 net) were classified as natural gas productive wells and 4,600 gross (2,100 net) were classified as oil productive wells. Chesapeake operated approximately 10,900 of its 19,100 productive wells in which we had a working interest. During 2016, we drilled or participated in 382 gross (235 net) wells as operator and participated in another 53 gross (4 net) wells completed by other operators. We operate approximately 93% of our current daily production volumes.

The following table shows the wells we drilled or participated in by operating division:

As of December 31, 2016, we had 140 gross (93 net) wells in the process of being drilled or completed.

Management uses estimated future net revenue, which is calculated without deducting estimated future income tax expenses, and the present value thereof as a measure of the value of the Company's current proved reserves and to compare relative values among peer companies. We also understand that securities analysts and rating agencies use this measure in similar ways. While estimated future net revenue and the present value thereof are based on prices, costs and discount factors which are consistent from company to company, the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows is dependent on the unique tax situation of each individual company.

As of December 31, 2016, our proved reserve estimates included 519 mmboe of reserves classified as proved undeveloped, compared to 242 mmboe as of December 31, 2015. Presented below is a summary of changes in our proved undeveloped reserves (PUDs) for 2016.

As of December 31, 2016, there were no PUDs that had remained undeveloped for five years or more. In 2016, we invested approximately $312 million to convert 118 mmboe of PUDs to proved developed reserves. In 2017, we estimate that we will invest approximately $606 million for PUD conversion. The downward revisions of 78 mmboe of PUDs in 2016 were related to a 34 mmboe reduction due to lower commodity prices and a 44 mmboe reduction resulting primarily from removing PUDs where it was determined development would occur outside of the five year development plan. Our proved undeveloped extensions and discoveries included 477 mmboe of reserves that resulted from improved drilling and operating efficiencies, including the impact from extended laterals.

The future net revenue attributable to our estimated PUDs of $3.0 billion as of December 31, 2016, and the $718 million present value thereof, have been calculated assuming that we will expend approximately $2.9 billion to develop these reserves ( $606 million in 2017, $550 million in 2018, $1.086 billion in 2019, $527 million in 2020 and $94 million in 2021), although the amount and timing of these expenditures will depend on a number of factors, including actual drilling results, service costs, commodity prices and the availability of capital. Chesapeake's developmental drilling schedules are subject to revision and reprioritization throughout the year resulting from unknowable factors such as unexpected developmental drilling results, title issues and infrastructure availability or constraints.

Our annual net decline rate on current proved producing properties is projected to be 31% in 2017, 22% in 2018, 17% in 2019, 14% in 2020 and 12% in 2021. Of our 1.189 bboe of proved developed reserves as of December 31, 2016, approximately 126 mmboe, or 11%, were non-producing.

Chesapeake's ownership interest used for calculating proved reserves and the associated estimated future net revenue assumes maximum participation by other parties to our farm-out and participation agreements. SEC pricing used for calculating the estimated future net revenue attributable to our proved reserves does not reflect actual market prices for oil and natural gas production sold subsequent to December 31, 2016.

The Company's estimated proved reserves and the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows of the proved reserves as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, along with the changes in quantities and standardized measure of the reserves for each of the three years then ended, are shown in Supplemental Disclosures About Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Producing Activities included in Item 8 of Part II of this report. No estimates of proved reserves comparable to those included herein have been included in reports to any federal agency other than the SEC.

There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves and in projecting future rates of production and timing of development expenditures, including many factors beyond our control. The reserve data represent only estimates. Reserve engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil and natural gas that cannot be measured exactly, and the accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation and judgment. As a result, estimates made by different engineers often vary. In addition, results of drilling, testing and production subsequent to the date of an estimate may justify revision of these estimates, and these revisions may be material. Accordingly, reserve estimates often differ from the actual quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL that are ultimately recovered. Furthermore, the estimated future net revenue from proved reserves and the associated present value are based upon certain assumptions, including prices, future production levels and costs that may not prove correct. Future prices and costs may be materially higher or lower than the prices and costs as of the date of any estimate.

Reserves Estimation

Chesapeake's Corporate Reserves Department prepared approximately 30% by volume, and approximately 17% by value, of our estimated proved reserves disclosed in this report. Those estimates were based upon the best available production, engineering and geologic data.

Chesapeake's Director – Corporate Reserves, is the technical person primarily responsible for overseeing the preparation of the Company's reserve estimates. His qualifications include the following:

We ensure that the key members of our Corporate Reserves Department have appropriate technical qualifications to oversee the preparation of reserves estimates. Each of our Corporate Reserves Advisors has more than 30 years of engineering experience in reserve estimation. Our engineering technicians have a minimum of a four-year degree in mathematics, economics, finance or other technical/business/science field. We maintain a continuous education program for our engineers and technicians on new technologies and industry advancements as well as refresher training on basic skills and analytical techniques.

We maintain internal controls such as the following to ensure the reliability of reserves estimations:

We engaged Software Integrated Solutions, Division of Schlumberger Technology Corporation, a third-party engineering firm, to prepare approximately 70% by volume, and approximately 83% by value, of our estimated proved reserves as of December 31, 2016. A copy of the report issued by the engineering firm is filed with this report as Exhibits 99.1. The qualifications of the technical person at the firm primarily responsible for overseeing the preparation of the Company's reserve estimates are set forth below.

A summary of our exploration and development, acquisition and divestiture activities in 2016 by operating division is as follows:

Most of our leases have a three- to five-year primary term, and we manage lease expirations to ensure that we do not experience unintended material expirations. Our leasehold management efforts include scheduling our drilling to establish production in paying quantities in order to hold leases by production, timely exercising our contractual rights to pay delay rentals to extend the terms of leases we value, planning noncore divestitures to high-grade our lease inventory and letting some leases expire that are no longer part of our development plans. The following table sets forth the expiration periods of gross and net undeveloped leasehold acres as of December 31, 2016.

Marketing, Gathering and Compression

Our marketing activities, along with our midstream gathering and compression operations, constitute a reportable segment under accounting guidance for disclosure about segments of an enterprise and related information. See Note 21 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report.

Marketing

Chesapeake Energy Marketing, L.L.C., one of our wholly owned subsidiaries, provides oil, natural gas and NGL marketing services, including commodity price structuring, securing and negotiating gathering, hauling, processing and transportation services, contract administration and nomination services for Chesapeake and other interest owners in Chesapeake-operated wells. We also perform marketing services for third-party producers in wells in which we do not have an interest. We attempt to enhance the value of oil and natural gas production by aggregating volumes to be sold to various intermediary markets, end markets and pipelines. This aggregation allows us to attract larger, more creditworthy customers that in turn assist in maximizing the prices received. In addition, we periodically enter into a variety of oil, natural gas and NGL purchase and sale contracts with third parties for various commercial purposes, including credit risk mitigation and to help meet certain of our pipeline delivery commitments.

Oil production is generally sold under market-sensitive short-term or spot price contracts. Natural gas and NGL production is sold to purchasers under percentage-of-proceeds contracts, percentage-of-index contracts or spot price contracts. By the terms of the percentage-of-proceeds contracts, we receive a percentage of the resale price received from the ultimate purchaser. Under percentage-of-index contracts, the price we receive is tied to published indices. Sales to BP PLC constituted approximately 10% and 14% of our total revenues (before the effects of hedging) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Sales to Exxon Mobil Corporation constituted approximately 12% of our total revenues (before the effects of hedging) for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Midstream Gathering Operations

Historically, we invested, directly and through affiliates, in gathering systems and processing facilities to complement our natural gas operations in regions where we had significant production and additional infrastructure was required. These systems were designed primarily to gather our production for delivery into major intrastate or interstate pipelines. In addition, our midstream business provided services to joint working interest owners and other third-party customers. We generated revenues from our gathering, treating and compression activities through various gathering rate structures. As of December 31, 2016, we sold substantially all of our remaining assets associated with our natural gas gathering business.

Compression Operations

Since 2003, we have operated our compression business through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Compass Manufacturing, L.L.C. (Compass) and MidCon Compression, L.L.C. (MidCon). Compass designs, engineers, fabricates, installs and sells natural gas compression units, accessories and equipment used in the production, treatment and processing of oil and natural gas. A majority of the completed compressors are sold to MidCon. MidCon operates wellhead and system compressors, with approximately 150,000 horsepower of compression, to facilitate the transportation of natural gas primarily produced from Chesapeake-operated wells.

Spin-Off of Oilfield Services Business

On June 30, 2014, we completed the spin-off of our oilfield services business, which we previously conducted through our indirect, wholly owned subsidiary Chesapeake Oilfield Operating, L.L.C. (COO), into an independent, publicly traded company called Seventy Seven Energy Inc. (SSE). See Note 13 of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this report for additional information regarding the spin-off.

Following the spin-off, we have no ownership interest in SSE. Therefore, we ceased to consolidate SSE’s assets and liabilities as of the spin-off date. Because we expect to have significant continued involvement associated with SSE’s future operations through the various agreements we entered into in connection with the spin-off, our former oilfield services segment’s historical financial results for periods prior to the spin-off continue to be included in our historical financial results as a component of continuing operations.

Competition

We compete with both major integrated and other independent oil and natural gas companies in all aspects of our business to explore, develop and operate our properties and market our production. Some of our competitors may have larger financial and other resources than ours. Competitive conditions may be affected by future legislation and regulations as the United States develops new energy and climate-related policies. In addition, some of our competitors may have a competitive advantage when responding to factors that affect demand for oil and natural gas production, such as changing prices, domestic and foreign political conditions, weather conditions, the price and availability of alternative fuels, the proximity and capacity of natural gas pipelines and other transportation facilities and overall economic conditions. We also face indirect competition from alternative energy sources, including wind, solar and electric power. We believe that our technological expertise, our exploration, land, drilling and production capabilities and the experience of our management generally enable us to compete effectively.

Regulation – General

All of our operations are conducted onshore in the United States. The U.S. oil and natural gas industry is regulated at the federal, state and local levels, and some of the laws and regulations that govern our operations carry substantial administrative, civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance. Although we believe we are in material compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and that the cost of compliance with existing requirements will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, cash flows or results of operations, such laws and regulations could be, and frequently are, amended or reinterpreted. Additionally, currently unforeseen environmental incidents may occur or past non-compliance with environmental laws or regulations may be discovered. Therefore, we are unable to predict the future costs or impact of compliance or non-compliance. Additional proposals and proceedings that affect the oil and natural gas industry are regularly considered by Congress, the states, local governments, the courts and federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). We actively monitor regulatory developments applicable to our industry in order to anticipate, design and implement required compliance activities and systems.

Exploration and Production Operations

The laws and regulations applicable to our exploration and production operations include requirements for permits or approvals to drill and to conduct other operations and for provision of financial assurances (such as bonds) covering drilling and well operations. Other activities subject to such laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Delays in obtaining permits or an inability to obtain new permits or permit renewals could inhibit our ability to execute our drilling and production plans. Failure to comply with applicable regulations or permit requirements could result in revocation of our permits, inability to obtain new permits and the imposition of fines and penalties.

Our exploration and production activities are also subject to various conservation regulations. These include the regulation of the size of drilling and spacing units (regarding the density of wells that may be drilled in a particular area) and the unitization or pooling of oil and natural gas properties. In this regard, some states, such as Oklahoma, allow the forced pooling or integration of tracts to facilitate exploration, while other states, such as Texas, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, rely on voluntary pooling of lands and leases. In areas where pooling is voluntary, it may be more difficult to form units and, therefore, more difficult to fully develop a project if the operator owns or controls less than 100% of the leasehold. In addition, some states’ conservation laws establish maximum rates of production from oil and natural gas wells, generally limit the venting or flaring of natural gas and impose certain requirements regarding the ratability of production. The effect of these regulations is to limit the amount of oil and natural gas we can produce and to limit the number of wells and the locations at which we can drill.

Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is typically regulated by state oil and gas regulatory authorities, including specifically the requirement to disclose certain information related to hydraulic fracturing operations. We follow applicable legal requirements for groundwater protection in our operations that are subject to supervision by state and federal regulators (including the BLM on federal acreage). Furthermore, our well construction practices require the installation of multiple layers of protective steel casing surrounded by cement that are specifically designed and installed to protect freshwater aquifers by preventing the migration of fracturing fluids into aquifers. Regulatory proposals in some states and local communities have been initiated to require or make more stringent the permitting and compliance requirements for hydraulic fracturing operations. Federal and state agencies continue to assess the impacts of hydraulic fracturing that could spur further action toward federal and/or state legislation and regulation of hydraulic fracturing activities. In addition, in light of concerns about seismic activity being triggered by the injection of produced waters into underground wells and hydraulic fracturing, certain regulators are also considering additional requirements related to seismic safety for hydraulic fracturing activities. Further restrictions on hydraulic fracturing could make it prohibitive to conduct our operations, and also reduce the amount of oil, natural gas and NGL that we are ultimately able to produce in commercial quantities from our properties. For further discussion, see Item 1A. Risk Factors – Federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives relating to hydraulic fracturing could result in increased costs and additional operating restrictions or delays.

Midstream Operations

Historically, Chesapeake invested, directly and through an affiliate, in gathering systems and processing facilities to complement our natural gas operations in regions where we had significant production and additional infrastructure was required. In 2012 and 2013, we sold a significant portion of our midstream business, including most of our gathering assets. As of December 31, 2016, we sold substantially all of our remaining assets associated with our natural gas gathering business. As a result, the impact on our business of compliance with the laws and regulations described below has decreased significantly since the fourth quarter of 2012.

In addition to the environmental, health and safety laws and regulations discussed below under Regulation – Environment, Health and Safety Matters , a small number of our midstream facilities are subject to federal regulation by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the DOT pursuant to the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1968 (NGPSA) and the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002, which was reauthorized and amended by the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement and Safety Act of 2006 and reauthorized and amended again by the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act of 2016. The NGPSA regulates safety requirements in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of gas pipeline facilities.

States are largely preempted by federal law from regulating pipeline safety for interstate lines but most are certified by the DOT to assume responsibility for enforcing federal intrastate pipeline regulations and inspection of intrastate pipelines. In practice, because states can adopt stricter standards for intrastate pipelines than those imposed by the federal government for interstate lines, states vary considerably in their assertion of authority and capacity to address pipeline safety. We have inspection and compliance programs designed to keep our natural gas pipeline facilities in compliance with current pipeline safety and pollution control laws and regulations. However, future PHMSA rulemakings could have a material impact on our operations.

Natural gas gathering and intrastate transportation facilities are exempt from the jurisdiction of the FERC under the Natural Gas Act. Although the FERC has made no formal determinations with regard to any of our facilities, we believe that our natural gas pipelines and related facilities are engaged in exempt gathering and intrastate transportation and, therefore, are not subject to the FERC's jurisdiction. Nevertheless, FERC regulation affects our gathering and compression business, generally, in that some of our assets feed into FERC-regulated systems. FERC provides policies and practices across a range of natural gas regulatory activities, including, for example, its policies on open access transportation, market manipulation, ratemaking, capacity release and market transparency, and market center promotion, which indirectly affect our gathering and compression business. In addition, the distinction between FERC-regulated transmission facilities and federally unregulated gathering and intrastate transportation facilities is a fact-based determination made by the FERC on a case-by-case basis; this distinction has also been the subject of regular litigation and change. The classification and regulation of our gathering and intrastate transportation facilities are subject to change based on future determinations by the FERC, the courts and Congress.

Our natural gas gathering operations are subject to ratable-take and common-purchaser statutes in most of the states in which we operate. These statutes generally require our gathering pipelines to take natural gas without undue discrimination as to source of supply or producer. These statutes are designed to prohibit discrimination in favor of one producer over another producer or one source of supply over another source of supply. The regulations under these statutes can have the effect of imposing restrictions on our ability as an owner of gathering facilities to decide with whom we contract to gather natural gas. The states in which we operate typically have adopted a complaint-based regulation of natural gas gathering activities, which allows natural gas producers and shippers to file complaints with state regulators in an effort to resolve grievances relating to gathering access and rate discrimination.

Regulation – Environment, Health and Safety

Our operations are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment and natural resources. These laws and regulations can restrict or impact our business activities in many ways, such as:

Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may trigger a variety of administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, including the assessment of monetary penalties, the imposition of remedial or restoration obligations, and the issuance of orders enjoining future operations or imposing additional compliance requirements. Certain environmental statutes impose strict, joint and several liability for costs required to clean up and restore sites where hazardous substances, hydrocarbons or wastes have been disposed or otherwise released. Moreover, local restrictions, such as state or local moratoria, city ordinances, zoning laws and traffic regulations, may restrict or prohibit the execution of our drilling and production plans. In addition, third parties, such as neighboring landowners, may file claims alleging property damage, nuisance or personal injury arising from our operations or from the release of hazardous substances, hydrocarbons or other waste products into the environment.

The trend in environmental regulation is to place more restrictions and limitations on activities that may affect the environment. We monitor developments at the federal, state and local levels to inform our actions pertaining to future regulatory requirements that might be imposed to mitigate the costs of compliance with any such requirements. We also participate in industry groups that help formulate recommendations for addressing existing or future regulations and that share best practices and lessons learned in relation to pollution prevention and incident investigations.

Below is a discussion of the major environmental, health and safety laws and regulations that relate to our business. We believe that we are in material compliance with these laws and regulations. We do not believe that compliance with existing environmental, health and safety laws or regulations will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. At this point, however, we cannot reasonably predict what applicable laws, regulations or guidance may eventually be adopted with respect to our operations or the ultimate cost to comply with such requirements.

Hazardous Substances and Waste

Federal and state laws, in particular the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulate hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. In the course of our operations, we generate petroleum hydrocarbon wastes, such as drill cuttings, produced water and ordinary industrial wastes. Under a longstanding legal framework, certain of these wastes are not subject to federal regulations governing hazardous wastes, although they are regulated under other federal and state waste laws. At various times in the past, most recently in December 2016, proposals have been made to amend RCRA or otherwise eliminate the exemption applicable to crude oil and natural gas exploration and production wastes. Repeal or modifications of this exemption by administrative, legislative or judicial process, or through changes in applicable state statutes, would increase the volume of hazardous waste we are required to manage and dispose and would cause us, as well as our competitors, to incur significantly increased operating expenses.

Federal, state and local laws may also require us to remove or remediate wastes or hazardous substances that have been previously disposed or released into the environment. This can include removing or remediating wastes or hazardous substances disposed or released by us (or prior owners or operators) in accordance with then current laws, suspending or ceasing operations at contaminated areas, or performing remedial well plugging operations or response actions to reduce the risk of future contamination. Federal laws, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and analogous state laws impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or legality of the original conduct, on classes of persons who are considered legally responsible for releases of a hazardous substance into the environment. These persons include the owner or operator of the site where the release occurred, persons who disposed or arranged for the disposal of hazardous substances at the site, and any person who accepted hazardous substances for transportation to the site. CERCLA and analogous state laws also authorize the EPA, state environmental agencies and, in some cases, third parties to take action to prevent or respond to threats to human health or the environment and/or seek recovery of the costs of such actions from responsible classes of persons.

The Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program authorized by the Safe Drinking Water Act prohibits any underground injection unless authorized by a permit. Chesapeake recycles and reuses some produced water and we also dispose of produced water in Class II UIC wells, which are designed and permitted to place the water into deep geologic formations, isolated from fresh water sources. Permits for Class II UIC wells may be issued by the EPA or by a state regulatory agency if EPA has delegated its UIC Program authority. Because some states have become concerned that the disposal of produced water could under certain circumstances contribute to seismicity, they have adopted or are considering adopting additional regulations governing such disposal.

Air Emissions

Our operations are subject to the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) and comparable state laws and regulations. Among other things, these laws and regulations regulate emissions of air pollutants from various industrial sources, including compressor stations and production equipment, and impose various control, monitoring and reporting requirements. Permits and related compliance obligations under the CAA, each state's development and promulgation of regulatory programs to comport with federal requirements, as well as changes to state implementation plans for controlling air emissions in regional non-attainment or near-non-attainment areas, may require oil and gas exploration and production operators to incur future capital expenditures in connection with the addition or modification of existing air emission control equipment and strategies.

Discharges into Waters

The federal Water Pollution Control Act, or the Clean Water Act (CWA), and analogous state laws impose restrictions and strict controls regarding the discharge of pollutants into state waters as well as waters of the U.S. Spill prevention, control and countermeasure regulations require appropriate containment berms and similar structures to help prevent the contamination of regulated waters in the event of a hydrocarbon tank spill, rupture or leak. In addition, the CWA and analogous state laws require individual permits or coverage under general permits for discharges of storm water runoff from certain types of facilities and construction activities.

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) establishes strict liability for owners and operators of facilities that release oil into waters of the United States. The OPA and its associated regulations impose a variety of requirements on responsible parties related to the prevention of oil spills and liability for damages resulting from such spills. A ''responsible party'' under the OPA includes owners and operators of certain onshore facilities from which a release may affect waters of the United States.

Health and Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and comparable state laws regulate the protection of the health and safety of our employees. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has established workplace safety standards that provide guidelines for maintaining a safe workplace in light of potential hazards, such as employee exposure to hazardous substances. OSHA also requires employee training and maintenance of records, and the OSHA hazard communication standard and EPA community right-to-know regulations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 require that we organize and/or disclose information about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations.

Endangered Species

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits the taking of endangered or threatened species or their habitats. While some of our assets and lease acreage may be located in areas that are designated as habitats for endangered or threatened species, we believe that we are in material compliance with the ESA. However, the designation of previously unidentified endangered or threatened species in areas where we intend to conduct construction activity or the imposition of seasonal restrictions on our construction or operational activities could materially limit or delay our plans.

Global Warming and Climate Change

At the federal level, EPA regulations require us to establish and report an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. Legislative and regulatory proposals for restricting greenhouse gas emissions or otherwise addressing climate change could require us to incur additional operating costs and could adversely affect demand for the oil and natural gas that we sell. The EPA recently finalized new standards of performance limiting methane emissions from oil and gas sources. The potential increase in our operating costs could include new or increased costs to (i) obtain permits, (ii) operate and maintain our equipment and facilities (through the reduction or elimination of venting and flaring of methane), (iii) install new emission controls on our equipment and facilities, (iv) acquire allowances authorizing our greenhouse gas emissions, (v) pay taxes related to our greenhouse gas emissions and (vi) administer and manage a greenhouse gas emissions program. In addition to these federal actions, various state governments and/or regional agencies may consider enacting new legislation and/or promulgating new regulations governing or restricting the emission of greenhouse gases from stationary sources such as our equipment and operations.

In addition, the United States was actively involved in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris, which led to the creation of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement requires countries to review and “represent a progression” in their nationally determined contributions, which set emissions reduction goals, every five years. For further discussion, see Item 1A. Risk Factors - Potential legislative and regulatory actions addressing climate change could significantly impact our industry and the Company, causing increased costs and reduced demand for oil and natural gas.

Title to Properties

Our title to properties is subject to royalty, overriding royalty, carried, net profits, working and other similar interests and contractual arrangements customary in the oil and natural gas industry, to liens for current taxes not yet due and to other encumbrances. As is customary in the industry in the case of undeveloped properties, only cursory investigation of record title is made at the time of acquisition. Drilling title opinions are usually prepared before commencement of drilling operations. We believe we have satisfactory title to substantially all of our active properties in accordance with standards generally accepted in the oil and natural gas industry. Nevertheless, we are involved in title disputes from time to time which result in litigation.

Operating Hazards and Insurance

The oil and natural gas business involves a variety of operating risks, including the risk of fire, explosions, blow-outs, pipe failure, abnormally pressured formations and environmental hazards such as oil spills, natural gas leaks, ruptures or discharges of toxic gases. If any of these should occur, Chesapeake could incur legal defense costs and could suffer substantial losses due to injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up responsibilities, regulatory investigation and penalties, and suspension of operations. Our horizontal and deep drilling activities involve greater risk of mechanical problems than vertical and shallow drilling operations.

Chesapeake maintains a control of well policy with a $50 million single well limit and a $100 million multiple wells limit that insures against certain sudden and accidental risks associated with drilling, completing and operating our wells. This insurance may not be adequate to cover all losses or exposure to liability. Chesapeake also carries a $250 million comprehensive general liability umbrella policy. In addition, Chesapeake maintains a $150 million pollution liability policy providing coverage for gradual pollution related risks and in excess of the general liability policy for sudden and accidental pollution risks. We provide workers' compensation insurance coverage to employees in all states in which we operate. While we believe these policies are customary in the industry, they do not provide complete coverage against all operating risks, and policy limits scale to Chesapeake’s working interest percentage in certain situations. In addition, our insurance does not cover penalties or fines that may be assessed by a governmental authority. A loss not fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover every claim made against us or may not be commercially available for purchase in the future.

Facilities

Chesapeake owns an office complex in Oklahoma City and owns or leases various field offices in cities or towns in the areas where we conduct our operations.

Executive Officers

Robert D. Lawler, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Robert D. (“Doug”) Lawler , 50, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2013. Prior to joining Chesapeake, Mr. Lawler served in multiple engineering and leadership positions at Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. His positions at Anadarko included Senior Vice President, International and Deepwater Operations and member of Anadarko’s Executive Committee from July 2012 to May 2013; Vice President, International Operations from December 2011 to July 2012; Vice President, Operations for the Southern and Appalachia Region from March 2009 to July 2012; and Vice President, Corporate Planning from August 2008 to March 2009. Mr. Lawler began his career with Kerr-McGee Corporation in 1988 and joined Anadarko following its acquisition of Kerr-McGee in 2006.

Domenic J. Dell'Osso, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Domenic J. (“Nick”) Dell'Osso, Jr., 40 , has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since November 2010. Mr. Dell'Osso served as Vice President – Finance of the Company and Chief Financial Officer of Chesapeake's wholly owned midstream subsidiary, Chesapeake Midstream Development, L.P., from August 2008 to November 2010.

Frank Patterson, Executive Vice President – Exploration and Production

Frank Patterson, 58 , has served as Executive Vice President - Exploration and Production since August 2016. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President – Exploration and Northern Division since April 2016 and as Executive Vice President – Exploration, Technology & Land since May 2015. Before joining Chesapeake, Mr. Patterson served in various roles at Anadarko from 2006 to 2015, most recently as Senior Vice President – International Exploration. Prior to that he was Vice President – Deepwater Exploration at Kerr-McGee and Manager – Geology at Sun E&P/Oryx Energy.

Mikell J. Pigott, Executive Vice President – Operations and Technical Services

Mikell J. (“Jason”) Pigott, 43, has served as Executive Vice President – Operations and Technical Services since August 2016. Previously, he served as Executive Vice President – Operations, Southern Division since January 2015 and Senior Vice President – Operations, Southern Division since August 2013. Before joining Chesapeake, Mr. Pigott served in various positions at Anadarko and focused on all aspects of developing unconventional resources. His positions at Anadarko included General Manager Eagle Ford from June to August 2013; General Manager East Texas and North Louisiana from October 2010 to June 2013; Southern & Appalachia Planning Manager from October 2009 to October 2010; Reservoir Engineering Manager East Texas and North Louisiana from July to October 2009; and Reservoir Engineering Manager Bossier from 2007 to July 2009.

James R. Webb, Executive Vice President – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

James R. Webb, 49 , has served as Executive Vice President – General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since January 2014. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President – Legal and General Counsel since October 2012 and as Corporate Secretary since August 2013. Mr. Webb first joined Chesapeake in May 2012 on a contract basis as Chief Legal Counsel. Prior to joining Chesapeake, Mr. Webb was an attorney with the law firm of McAfee & Taft from 1995 to October 2012.

Michael A. Johnson, Senior Vice President – Accounting, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

Michael A. Johnson, 51 , has served as Senior Vice President – Accounting, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since 2000. He served as Vice President of Accounting and Financial Reporting from 1998 to 2000 and as Assistant Controller from 1993 to 1998.

Other Senior Officer

Cathlyn L. Tompkins, Senior Vice President – Information Technology and Chief Information Office r

Cathlyn L. Tompkins, 56, has served as Senior Vice President – Information Technology and Chief Information Officer since 2006. Ms. Tompkins served as Vice President – Information Technology from 2005 to 2006.

Employees

Chesapeake had approximately 3,300 employees as of December 31, 2016.

Glossary of Oil and Gas Terms

The terms defined in this section are used throughout this report.

Bbl. One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume, used herein in reference to crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Bboe . One billion barrels of oil equivalent.

Bcf. Billion cubic feet.

Bcfe . Billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.

Bbtu . One billion British thermal units.

Btu . British thermal unit, which is the heat required to raise the temperature of a one-pound mass of water from 58.5 to 59.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boe . Barrel of oil equivalent.

Commercial Well; Commercially Productive Well . A well which produces oil, natural gas and/or NGL in sufficient quantities such that proceeds from the sale of this production exceeds production expenses and taxes.

Completion . The process of treating a drilled well followed by the installation of permanent equipment for the production of oil, natural gas or NGL, or in the case of a dry well, the reporting to the appropriate authority that the well has been abandoned.

Developed Acreage. The number of acres which are allocated or assignable to producing wells or wells capable of production.

Development Well . A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or natural gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Drilling Carry Obligation. An obligation of one party to pay certain well costs attributable to another party.

Dry Well . A well found to be incapable of producing either oil or natural gas in sufficient quantities to justify completion as an oil or natural gas well.

Exploratory Well. A well drilled to find a new field or to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of oil or natural gas in another reservoir.

Formation. A succession of sedimentary beds that were deposited under the same general geologic conditions.

Full Cost Pool . The full cost pool consists of all costs associated with property acquisition, exploration and development activities for a company using the full cost method of accounting. Additionally, any internal costs that can be directly identified with acquisition, exploration and development activities are included. Any costs related to production, general corporate overhead or similar activities are not included.

Gross Acres or Gross Wells . The total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which a working interest is owned.

Mboe. One thousand barrels of oil equivalent.

Mcf . One thousand cubic feet.

Mmbbl . One million barrels of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.

Mmboe . One million barrels of oil equivalent.

Mmbtu . One million btus.

Mmcf. One million cubic feet.

Natural Gas Liquids (NGL). Those hydrocarbons in natural gas that are separated from the gas as liquids through the process of absorption, condensation, adsorption or other methods in gas processing or cycling plants. Natural gas liquids primarily include ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, pentane, hexane and natural gasoline.

Net Acres or Net Wells . The sum of the fractional working interests owned in gross acres or gross wells.

NYMEX . New York Mercantile Exchange.

Play . A term applied to a portion of the exploration and production cycle following the identification by geologists and geophysicists of areas with potential oil, natural gas and NGL reserves.

Present Value or PV-10 . When used with respect to oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, present value, or PV-10, 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 oil and natural gas 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, 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. The difference in the price of oil, natural gas or NGL received at the sales point and the NYMEX price.

Productive Well. A well that is not a dry well. Productive wells include producing wells and wells that are mechanically capable of production.

Proved Developed Reserves . Proved 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 . Properties with proved reserves.

Proved Reserves . Proved oil and natural gas reserves are those quantities of oil and natural gas, 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. The project to extract the hydrocarbons must have commenced or the operator must be reasonably certain that it will commence the project within a reasonable time. The area of a reservoir considered as proved includes (i) the area identified by drilling and limited by fluid contacts, if any, and (ii) adjacent undrilled portions of the reservoir that can, with reasonable certainty, be judged to be continuous with it and to contain economically producible oil or natural gas on the basis of available geoscience and engineering data. In the absence of data on fluid contacts, proved quantities in a reservoir are limited by the lowest known hydrocarbons (LKH) as seen in a well penetration unless geoscience, engineering, or performance data and reliable technology establishes a lower contact with reasonable certainty. Where direct observation from well penetrations has defined a highest known oil (HKO) elevation and the potential exists for an associated gas cap, proved oil reserves may be assigned in the structurally higher portions of the reservoir only if geoscience, engineering, or performance data and reliable technology establish the higher contact with reasonable certainty. Reserves that can be produced economically through application of improved recovery techniques (including, but not limited to, fluid injection) are included in the proved classification when (i) successful testing by a pilot project in an area of the reservoir with properties no more favorable than in the reservoir as a whole, the operation of an installed program in the reservoir or an analogous reservoir, or other evidence using reliable technology establishes the reasonable certainty of the engineering analysis on which the project or program was based and (ii) the project has been approved for development by all necessary parties and entities, including governmental entities. Existing economic conditions include prices and costs at which economic producibility from a reservoir is to be determined. The price is the average price during the 12-month period prior to the ending date of the period covered by the report, determined as an unweighted arithmetic average of the first-day-of-the-month price for each month within the period, unless prices are defined by contractual arrangements, excluding escalations based upon future conditions.

Proved Undeveloped Reserves (PUDs) . Proved reserves that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively high expenditure compared to the cost of drilling a new well is required for recompletion. 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. Undrilled locations can be classified as having proved undeveloped reserves only if a development plan has been adopted indicating that they are scheduled to be drilled within five years, unless specific circumstances justify a longer time. Estimates for proved undeveloped reserves are not attributed to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless these techniques have been proved effective by actual projects in the same reservoir or an analogous reservoir, or by other evidence using reliable technology establishing reasonable certainty.

Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses on Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Derivatives. Realized gains and losses includes the following items:(i) settlements and accruals for settlements of non-designated derivatives related to current period production revenues, (ii) prior period settlements for option premiums and for early-terminated derivatives originally scheduled to settle against current period production revenues, and (iii) gains and losses related to de-designated cash flow hedges originally designated to settle against current period production revenues. Unrealized gains and losses include the change in fair value of open derivatives scheduled to settle against future period production revenues (including current period settlements for option premiums and early-terminated derivatives) offset by amounts reclassified as realized gains and losses during the period. Although we no longer designate our derivatives as cash flow hedges for accounting purposes, we believe these definitions are useful to management and investors in determining the effectiveness of our price risk management program.

Reservoir . A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or natural gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.

Royalty Interest . An interest in an oil and natural gas property entitling the owner to a share of oil, natural gas or NGL production free of costs of production.

Seismic . An exploration method of sending energy waves or sound waves into the earth and recording the wave reflections to indicate the type, size, shape and depth of subsurface rock formation (3-D seismic provides three-dimensional pictures).

Shale . Fine-grained sedimentary rock composed mostly of consolidated clay or mud. Shale is the most frequently occurring sedimentary rock.

Standardized Measure of Discounted Future Net Cash Flows . The discounted future net cash flows relating to proved reserves based on the prices used in estimating the proved reserves, year-end costs and statutory tax rates (adjusted for permanent differences) and a 10% annual discount rate.

Tbtu. One trillion British thermal units.

Undeveloped Acreage . Acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of economic quantities of oil and natural gas regardless of whether the acreage contains proved reserves.

Unproved Properties . Properties with no proved reserves.

Volumetric Production Payment (VPP) . As we use the term, a volumetric production payment represents a limited-term overriding royalty interest in oil and natural gas reserves that: (i) entitles the purchaser to receive scheduled production volumes over a period of time from specific lease interests; (ii) is free and clear of all associated future production costs and capital expenditures; (iii) is nonrecourse to the seller (i.e., the purchaser's only recourse is to the reserves acquired); (iv) transfers title of the reserves to the purchaser; and (v) allows the seller to retain the remaining reserves, if any, after the scheduled production volumes have been delivered.

Working Interest . The operating interest which gives the owner the right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities on the property and a share of production.