[X]     QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2017

or

[  ]     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. 1-13726

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

As of October 31, 2017 , there were 908,685,855 shares of our $0.01 par value common stock outstanding.

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of Chesapeake Energy Corporation ("Chesapeake" or the "Company") were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and include the accounts of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries and entities in which Chesapeake has a controlling financial interest. Intercompany accounts and balances have been eliminated. These financial statements were prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and, therefore, do not include all disclosures required for financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP.

This Form 10-Q relates to the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 (the "Current Quarter" and the "Current Period", respectively) and the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 (the "Prior Quarter" and the "Prior Period", respectively). Chesapeake's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 ("2016 Form 10-K") includes certain definitions and a summary of significant accounting policies and should be read in conjunction with this Form 10-Q. All material adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments) which, in the opinion of management, are necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been reflected. The results for the Current Quarter and the Current Period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Revision of Previously Reported Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements

During the fourth quarter of 2016, we identified certain errors to the basis price differentials used in calculating the impairment of oil and natural gas properties and oil, natural gas and NGL depreciation, depletion and amortization for each of the first three interim periods in 2016. As disclosed within our 2016 Form 10-K, it was determined that these errors were not material to our previously issued 2016 interim financial statements. Accordingly, the correction of these errors was reflected in the quarterly unaudited financial data included within our 2016 Form 10-K. These revisions have been reflected in the comparative 2016 condensed consolidated financi al statements presented herein. See Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedure s in Item 4 of this Form 10-Q. The following table reconciles the amounts as previously reported in the applicable financial statement to the corresponding revised amounts:

Basic earnings per share (EPS) is calculated using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period and includes the effect of any participating securities as appropriate. Participating securities consist of unvested restricted stock issued to our employees and non-employee directors that provide dividend rights.

Diluted EPS is calculated assuming the issuance of common shares for all potentially dilutive securities, provided the effect is not antidilutive. For all periods presented, our contingent convertible senior notes did not have a dilutive effect and therefore were excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS. See Note 3 for further discussion of our convertible senior notes and contingent convertible senior notes.

Shares of common stock for the following dilutive securities were excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS as the effect was antidilutive.

Our long-term debt consisted of the following as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:

Optional Conversion by Holders . Prior to maturity under certain circumstances and at the holder's option, the notes are convertible into cash, our common stock, or a combination of cash and common stock, at our election. One triggering circumstance is when the price of our common stock exceeds a threshold amount during a specified period in a fiscal quarter. Convertibility based on common stock price is measured quarterly. During the Current Quarter, the price of our common stock was below the threshold level and, as a result, the holders do not have the option to convert their notes in the fourth quarter of 2017 under this provision. The notes are also convertible, at the holder's option, during specified five-day periods if the trading price of the notes is below certain levels determined by reference to the trading price of our common stock. The notes were not convertible under this provision during the Current Quarter. Upon conversion of a convertible senior note, the holder will receive cash, common stock or a combination of cash and common stock, at our election, according to the conversion rate specified in the indenture.

The common stock price conversion threshold amount for the convertible senior notes is 130% of the conversion price of $8.568 .

Optional Redemption by the Company . We may redeem the convertible senior notes for cash on or after September 15, 2019 , if the price of our common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price during a specified period at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount of the notes.

Holders' Demand Repurchase Rights. The holders of our convertible senior notes may require us to repurchase, in cash, all or a portion of their notes at 100% of the principal amount of the notes upon certain fundamental changes.

Debt Issuances and Retirements

During the Current Period, we issued in a private placement $750 million aggregate principal amount of unsecured 8.00% Senior Notes due 2027 at par for net proceeds of approximately $742 million . Some or all of the notes may be redeemed at any time prior to June 15, 2022, subject to a make-whole premium. We also may redeem some or all of the notes at any time on or after June 15, 2022, at the applicable redemption price in accordance with the terms of the notes and the indenture and supplemental indenture governing the notes . In addition, subject to certain conditions, we may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the notes at any time prior to June 15, 2020 , at a price equal to 108% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed using the net proceeds of certain equity offerings.

In the Current Period, we retired $1.609 billion principal amount of our outstanding senior notes, senior secured second lien notes and contingent convertible notes through purchases in the open market, tender offers or repayment upon maturity for $1.751 billion . For the open market repurchases and tender offers, we recorded an aggregate loss of approximately $1 million in the Current Quarter and an aggregate gain of approximately $183 million in the Current Period including $260 million of premium associated with our 8.00% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2022.

In the Prior Period, we retired $2.192 billion principal amount of our outstanding senior notes and contingent convertible senior notes through purchases in the open market, tender offers or repayment upon maturity for $1.5 billion . Additionally, we privately negotiated an exchange of approximately $577 million principal amount of our outstanding senior notes and contingent convertible senior notes for 109,351,707 common shares. We recorded an aggregate gain of approximately $255 million associated with these repurchases and exchanges.

Term Loan Facility

We have a secured five -year term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion as of September 30, 2017 . Our obligations under the facility are unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several basis by the same subsidiaries that guarantee our revolving credit facility, second lien notes and senior notes and are secured by first-priority liens on the same collateral securing our revolving credit facility (with a position in the collateral proceeds waterfall junior to the revolving credit facility). The term loan bears interest at a rate of London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 7.50% per annum, subject to a 1.00% LIBOR floor, or the Alternative Base Rate (ABR) plus 6.50% per annum, subject to a 2.00% ABR floor, at our option. The term loan matures in August 2021 and voluntary prepayments are subject to a make-whole premium prior to the second anniversary of the closing of the term loan, a premium to par of 4.25% from the second anniversary until but excluding the third anniversary, a premium to par of 2.125% from the third anniversary until but excluding the fourth anniversary and at par beginning on the fourth anniversary. The term loan may be subject to mandatory prepayments and offers to purchase with net cash proceeds of certain issuances of debt, certain asset sales and other dispositions of collateral and upon a change of control.

Senior Secured Second Lien Notes

Our second lien notes are secured second lien obligations and are effectively junior to our current and future secured first lien indebtedness, including indebtedness incurred under our revolving credit facility and our term loan facility, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness, effectively senior to all of our existing and future unsecured indebtedness, including our outstanding senior notes, to the extent of the value of the collateral, and senior to any future subordinated indebtedness that we may incur. We have the option to redeem the second lien notes, in whole or in part, at specified make-whole or redemption prices. Our second lien notes are governed by an indenture containing covenants that may limit our ability and our subsidiaries' ability to create liens securing certain indebtedness, enter into certain sale-leaseback transactions, consolidate, merge or transfer assets and dispose of certain collateral and use proceeds from dispositions of certain collateral. As a holding company, Chesapeake owns no operating assets and has no significant operations independent of its subsidiaries. Chesapeake's obligations under the second lien notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by certain of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries.

In December 2015, certain of the existing notes that were exchanged for the second lien notes were accounted for as a troubled debt restructuring (TDR). For the exchanges classified as a TDR, if the future undiscounted cash flows of the newly issued debt are less than the net carrying value of the original debt, a gain is recorded for the difference and the carrying value of the newly issued debt is adjusted to the future undiscounted cash flow amount and no future interest expense is recorded. All future interest payments on the newly issued debt reduce the carrying value.

Senior Notes, Contingent Convertible Senior Notes and Convertible Senior Notes

Our obligations under our outstanding senior notes and convertible senior notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by certain of our 100% owned subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis. Our non-guarantor subsidiaries are minor and, as such, we have not included condensed consolidating financial information in the notes to our condensed consolidated financial statements.

We are required to account for the liability and equity components of our convertible debt instruments separately and to reflect interest expense through the first demand repurchase date, as applicable, at the interest rate of similar nonconvertible debt at the time of issuance. The applicable rates for our 2.25% Contingent Convertible Senior Notes due 2038 and our 5.5% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 are 8.0% and 11.5% , respectively.

Revolving Credit Facility

We have a senior secured revolving credit facility currently subject to a $3.8 billion borrowing base that matures in December 2019. Our borrowing base may be reduced in certain circumstances, including if we dispose of a certain percentage of the value of collateral securing the revolving credit facility. As of September 30, 2017 , we had outstanding borrowings of $645 million under the revolving credit facility and had used $97 million of the revolving credit facility for various letters of credit. Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a variable rate. The terms of the revolving credit facility include covenants limiting, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, make investments or loans, create liens, consummate mergers and similar fundamental changes, make restricted payments, make investments in unrestricted subsidiaries and enter into transactions with affiliates. As of September 30,

2017 , we were in compliance with all applicable financial covenants under the agreement and we were able to borrow the full availability under the revolving credit facility.

As discussed in Note 16, on October 30, 2017, we completed a scheduled borrowing base redetermination review and our lenders reaffirmed our $3.8 billion borrowing base. Our next scheduled borrowing base redetermination is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.

During 2016, we entered into the third amendment to our revolving credit facility. The amendment granted temporary financial covenant relief, with the revolving credit facility's existing first lien secured leverage ratio and net debt to capitalization ratio suspended until September 30, 2017 (at which point the maximum first lien secured leverage ratio became 3.50 to 1.0 through the period ending December 31, 2017 and 3.00 to 1.0 thereafter and the maximum net debt to capitalization ratio for each period will be 65% ) and the interest coverage ratio maintenance covenant reduced as noted below. In addition, we agreed to grant liens and security interests on a majority of our assets, as well as maintain a minimum liquidity amount (defined as cash and cash equivalents and availability under our revolving credit facility) of $500 million until the suspension of the existing maintenance covenants ends.

The third amendment increased the interest coverage ratio to 1.2 to 1.0 for the third quarter of 2017 and 1.25 to 1.0 thereafter. The amendment also gives us the ability to incur up to $2.5 billion of first lien indebtedness secured on a pari passu basis with the existing obligations under the credit agreement, subject to a position in the collateral proceeds waterfall in favor of the revolving lenders and affiliated hedge providers and the other limitations on junior lien debt set forth in the credit agreement. After taking into account the term loan repurchases discussed in Note 16, the amount of additional first lien indebtedness permitted by the revolving credit facility is $1.2 billion .

Fair Value of Debt

We estimate the fair value of our senior notes based on the market value of our publicly traded debt as determined based on the yield of our senior notes (Level 1). The fair value of all other debt is based on a market approach using estimates provided by an independent investment financial data services firm (Level 2). Fair value is compared to the carrying value, excluding the impact of interest rate derivatives, in the table below.

Contingencies

Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings

The Company is involved in a number of litigation and regulatory proceedings including those described below. Many of these proceedings are in early stages, and many of them seek or may seek damages and penalties, the amount of which is indeterminate. We estimate and provide for potential losses that may arise out of litigation and regulatory proceedings to the extent that such losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required in making these estimates and our final liabilities may ultimately be materially different. Our total accrued liability in respect of litigation and regulatory proceedings is determined on a case-by-case basis and represents an estimate of probable losses after considering, among other factors, the progress of each case or proceeding, our experience and the experience of others in similar cases or proceedings, and the opinions and views of legal counsel. We account for legal defense costs in the period the costs are incurred.

Regulatory and Related Proceedings. The Company has received DOJ, U.S. Postal Service and state subpoenas seeking information on the Company's royalty payment practices. On September 19, 2017, the DOJ informed Chesapeake that it had concluded its investigation with no action taken on these matters and matters related to the purchase and lease of oil and natural gas rights. Chesapeake has engaged in discussions with the U.S. Postal Service and state agency representatives and continues to respond to related subpoenas and demands.

On July 10, 2017, Chesapeake, its Benefits Committee, its Investment Committee and certain employees were named as defendants in a purported Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) class action filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (the "ERISA Lawsuit"). The ERISA Lawsuit alleges violations of Sections 404, 405, 409 and 502 of ERISA with respect to the Company's common stock held in its Savings and Incentive Stock Bonus Plan (the "Plan"). The lawsuit was dismissed on August 8, 2017.

Business Operations. Chesapeake is involved in various other lawsuits and disputes incidental to its business operations, including commercial disputes, personal injury claims, royalty claims, property damage claims and contract actions.

Regarding royalty claims, Chesapeake and other natural gas producers have been named in various lawsuits alleging royalty underpayment. The suits against us allege, among other things, that we used below-market prices, made improper deductions, used improper measurement techniques and/or entered into arrangements with affiliates that resulted in underpayment of royalties in connection with the production and sale of natural gas and NGL. Plaintiffs have varying royalty provisions in their respective leases, oil and gas law varies from state to state, and royalty owners and producers differ in their interpretation of the legal effect of lease provisions governing royalty calculations. The Company has resolved a number of these claims through negotiated settlements of past and future royalties and has prevailed in various other lawsuits. We are currently defending lawsuits seeking damages with respect to underpayment of royalties in various states, including, but not limited to, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Louisiana and Arkansas. These lawsuits include cases filed by individual royalty owners and putative class actions, some of which seek to certify a statewide class.

Chesapeake is defending numerous lawsuits filed by individual royalty owners alleging royalty underpayment with respect to properties in Texas. These lawsuits, organized for pre-trial proceedings with respect to the Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford Shale, respectively, generally allege that Chesapeake underpaid royalties by making improper deductions, using incorrect production volumes and similar theories. Chesapeake expects that additional lawsuits will continue to be pursued and that new plaintiffs will file other lawsuits making similar allegations.

On December 9, 2015, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by the Office of Attorney General, filed a lawsuit in the Bradford County Court of Common Pleas related to royalty underpayment and lease acquisition and accounting practices with respect to properties in Pennsylvania. The lawsuit, which primarily relates to the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale, alleges that Chesapeake violated the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (UTPCPL) by making improper deductions and entering into arrangements with affiliates that resulted in underpayment of royalties. The lawsuit includes other UTPCPL claims and antitrust claims, including that a joint exploration agreement to which Chesapeake is a party established unlawful market allocation for the acquisition of leases. The lawsuit seeks statutory restitution, civil penalties and costs, as well as temporary injunction from exploration and drilling activities in Pennsylvania until restitution, penalties and costs have been paid and a permanent injunction from further violations of the UTPCPL.

Putative statewide class actions in Pennsylvania and Ohio and purported class arbitrations in Pennsylvania have been filed on behalf of royalty owners asserting various claims for damages related to alleged underpayment of royalties as a result of the Company's divestiture of substantially all of its midstream business and most of its gathering assets in 2012 and 2013. These cases include claims for violation of and conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and for an unlawful market allocation agreement for mineral rights. One of the cases includes claims of intentional interference with contractual relations and violations of antitrust laws related to purported markets for gas mineral rights, operating rights and gas gathering sources.

We believe losses are reasonably possible in certain of the pending royalty cases for which we have not accrued a loss contingency, but we are currently unable to estimate an amount or range of loss or the impact the actions could have on our future results of operations or cash flows. Uncertainties in pending royalty cases generally include the complex nature of the claims and defenses, the potential size of the class in class actions, the scope and types of the properties and agreements involved, and the applicable production years.

The Company is also defending lawsuits alleging various violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and state antitrust laws. In 2016, putative class action lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and in Oklahoma state courts, and an individual lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Kansas, in each case against the Company and other defendants. The lawsuits generally allege that, since 2007 and continuing through April 2013, the defendants conspired to rig bids and depress the market for the purchases of oil and natural gas leasehold interests and properties in the Anadarko Basin containing producing oil and natural gas wells. The lawsuits seek damages, attorney's fees, costs and interest, as well as enjoinment from adopting practices or plans that would restrain competition in a similar manner as alleged in the lawsuits.

Other Matters

Based on management's current assessment, we are of the opinion that no pending or threatened lawsuit or dispute relating to the Company's business operations is likely to have a material adverse effect on its 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 oil and gas business carries with it certain environmental risks for Chesapeake and its subsidiaries. Chesapeake has implemented various policies, programs, procedures, training and audits to reduce and mitigate such environmental risks. Chesapeake conducts 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, Chesapeake 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.

Commitments

Gathering, Processing and Transportation Agreements

We have contractual commitments with midstream service companies and pipeline carriers for future gathering, processing and transportation of oil, natural gas and NGL to move certain of our production to market. Working interest owners and royalty interest owners, where appropriate, will be responsible for their proportionate share of these costs. Commitments related to gathering, processing and transportation agreements are not recorded as obligations in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The aggregate undiscounted commitments under our gathering, processing and transportation agreements, excluding any reimbursement from working interest and royalty interest owners, credits for third-party volumes or future costs under cost-of-service agreements, are presented below.

In addition, we have entered into long-term agreements for certain natural gas gathering and related services within specified acreage dedication areas in exchange for cost-of-service based fees redetermined annually, or tiered fees based on volumes delivered relative to scheduled volumes. Future gathering fees may vary with the applicable agreement.

Drilling Contracts

We have contracts with various drilling contractors to utilize drilling services at market-based pricing. These commitments are not recorded as obligations in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of September 30, 2017 , the aggregate undiscounted minimum future payments under these drilling service commitments were approximately $31 million .

Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Purchase Commitments

We commit to purchase oil, natural gas and NGL from other owners in the properties we operate, including owners associated with our remaining volumetric production payment (VPP) transaction. Production purchases under these arrangements are based on market prices at the time of production, and the purchased oil, natural gas and NGL are resold at market prices. See Volumetric Production Payments in Note 9 for further discussion of our VPP transactions.

Net Acreage Maintenance Commitments

Under the terms of our Utica Shale joint venture agreements with Total S.A., we are obligated to extend, renew or replace certain expiring joint leasehold, at our cost, to ensure that the net acreage maintenance level is met as of the December 31, 2017 measurement date.

Other Commitments

As part of our normal course of business, we enter into various agreements providing, or otherwise arranging for, financial or performance assurances to third parties on behalf of our wholly owned guarantor subsidiaries. These agreements may include future payment obligations or commitments regarding operational performance that effectively guarantee our subsidiaries' future performance.

In connection with acquisitions and divestitures, our purchase and sale agreements generally provide indemnification to the counterparty for liabilities incurred as a result of a breach of a representation or warranty by the indemnifying party and/or other specified matters. These indemnifications generally have a discrete term and are intended to protect the parties against risks that are difficult to predict or cannot be quantified at the time of entering into or consummating a particular transaction. For divestitures of oil and natural gas properties, our purchase and sale agreements may require the return of a portion of the proceeds we receive as a result of uncured title or environmental defects.

Certain of our oil and natural gas properties are burdened by non-operating interests, such as royalty and overriding royalty interests, including overriding royalty interests sold through our VPP transactions. As the holder of the working interest from which these interests have been created, we have the responsibility to bear the cost of developing and producing the reserves attributable to these interests. See Volumetric Production Payments in Note 9 for further discussion of our VPP transactions.

While executing our strategic priorities, we have incurred certain cash charges, including contract termination charges, financing extinguishment costs and charges for unused natural gas transportation and gathering capacity. As we continue to focus on our strategic priorities, we may take certain actions that reduce financial leverage and complexity, and we may incur additional cash and noncash charges.

Other current liabilities as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are detailed below.

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Other long-term liabilities as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are detailed below.

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Common Stock

A summary of the changes in our common shares issued for the Current Period and the Prior Period is detailed below.

During the Current Period, our shareholders approved an amendment to our certificate of incorporation to increase our authorized common stock to 2,000,000,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share.

Preferred Stock

Outstanding shares and the liquidation price per share of our preferred stock for the Current Period and the Prior Period are detailed below.