Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) News: Tornado Relief, Robert “Doug” Lawler & More

Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK), Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN)

Chesapeake Energy Corporation donates $1 million to tornado relief efforts (TulsaBusiness)
Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) announced it will make a cash donation of $1 million to the American Red Cross to be used in the rescue and recovery efforts to aid the victims of the devastating tornadoes that hit Moore, Oklahoma earlier today. Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) is also organizing hundreds of employee volunteers to help tornado victims. …Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) is the second-largest producer of natural gas, a Top 15 producer of oil and natural gas liquids and the most active driller of new wells in the U.S.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK)

Chesapeake Energy names Lawler as new CEO (WeirtonDailyTimes)
Looking to move beyond the controversy of Aubrey McClendon’s personal dealings in Upper Ohio Valley drilling operations, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) named Robert “Doug” Lawler its new chief executive officer Monday. Lawler, now a senior vice president for Anadarko Petroleum, will formally assume the position from Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) Interim CEO Steven Dixon on June 17. Lawler will take over a company that reported a $940 million loss for stockholders for 2012. Fortunes improved as the year progressed, however, as the company reported $257 million in income for stockholders during the final three months of 2012.

Southwestern closes on 162,000 acres in Marcellus shale (Ohio)
Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) announced today that it has closed its recently announced acquisition of approximately 162,000 net acres in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. The properties were acquired from Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) and its partner for approximately $93 million, excluding purchase price adjustments. Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) has financed the acquisition with its revolving credit facility. Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) is an independent energy company whose wholly-owned subsidiaries are engaged in oil and gas exploration and production, natural gas gathering and marketing.

Puts Pick Up on Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK) (SchaeffersResearch)
The bears edged out the bulls yesterday in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) options pits, on the news that the company had chosen a new CEO. The two most active options were the June 20 and July 20 puts, which saw 6,874 and 9,645 contracts change hands, respectively. Both trades came in mostly at the ask price, and open interest soared at both positions overnight, pointing to buy-to-open activity. The volume-weighted average price (VWAP) for the front-month puts was $0.44, so traders will need Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) shares to drop below $19.56 (strike price minus VWAP) prior to June expiration in order to profit.

1 Rock-Solid Natural Gas Stock (Fool)
If you believe – as I do – that natural gas prices are heading much higher over the next three to five years, then at least a handful of natural gas companies should stand out as bargains right now. One such company is Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN), a well-managed, low-cost, natural gas producer with operations focused mainly in the Marcellus and Fayetteville shales. Let’s take a closer look at why the company might be a good investment right now. …Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN) also recently increased its position in the Marcellus to a whopping 337,000 net acres when it acquired 162,000 net acres in the Pennsylvania portion of the play from Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK), an energy producer that’s currently divesting non-core assets to raise much-needed cash. From Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE:SWN)’s perspective, the terms of the agreement were quite attractive.