Chesapeake Energy Corporation Completes Acquisition Of Vine Energy Inc.

Rhea-AI Summary

Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:CHK) has completed its acquisition of Vine Energy Inc. (NYSE:VEI) following approval from Vine's shareholders on November 1, 2021. Shareholders will receive 0.2486 shares of Chesapeake and $1.20 cash per Vine share. Post-merger, Vine's stock will be delisted from NYSE. Chesapeake aims to strengthen its position in the Haynesville Shale by adding over 900 drilling locations, enhancing free cash flow, and facilitating a substantial return of capital to shareholders amidst favorable natural gas prices.

Positive

• Acquisition of Vine Energy adds over 900 drilling locations in the Haynesville Shale.
• Immediate improvement in free cash flow profile.
• Potential for significant return of capital to shareholders.

Negative

• None.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:CHK) today announced it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Vine Energy Inc. (NYSE: VEI). The transaction was approved by Vine stockholders at a special meeting held on November 1, 2021. Vine stockholders will receive fixed consideration of 0.2486 of a share of Chesapeake common stock plus $1.20 cash for each share of Vine common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the merger, with cash to be received in lieu of any fractional shares. As a result of the merger, Vine common stock will no longer be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange and its reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 will be suspended.

Nick Dell'Osso, Chesapeake's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to integrate the outstanding Vine operations and assets into our portfolio, strengthening our position in the Haynesville Shale with over 900 additional drilling locations, immediately improving our free cash flow profile and accelerating a significant return of capital to our shareholders at a time of favorable natural gas prices. We greatly appreciate the continued support of the talented Vine employees as we work together to ensure a seamless and successful transition of ownership and realize the valuable synergies expected from combining these two great businesses."

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Corporation's (NASDAQ:CHK) operations are focused on discovering and responsibly developing its large and geographically diverse resource base of unconventional oil and natural gas assets onshore in the United States.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release and the accompanying outlook include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact. They include statements that give our current expectations, management's outlook guidance or forecasts of future events, expected natural gas and oil growth trajectory, projected cash flow and liquidity, our ability to enhance our cash flow and financial flexibility, dividend plans, future production and commodity mix, plans and objectives for future operations, ESG initiatives, the ability of our employees, portfolio strength and operational leadership to create long-term value, and the assumptions on which such statements are based. Although we believe the expectations and forecasts reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance they will prove to have been correct. They can be affected by inaccurate or changed assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include those described under "Risk Factors" in our filings with the SEC, including Item 1A of our annual report on Form 10-K and any updates to those factors set forth in Chesapeake's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K (available at http://www.chk.com/investors/sec-filings). These risk factors include: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the company's business, financial condition, employees, contractors and vendors, and on the global demand for oil and natural gas and U.S. and world financial markets; the volatility of oil, natural gas and NGL prices; the limitations our level of indebtedness may have on our financial flexibility; our inability to access the capital markets on favorable terms; the availability of cash flows from operations and other funds to fund cash dividends, to finance reserve replacement costs or satisfy our debt obligations; write-downs of our oil and natural gas asset carrying values due to low commodity prices; our ability to replace reserves and sustain production; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; our ability to generate profits or achieve targeted results in drilling and well operations; leasehold terms expiring before production can be established; commodity derivative activities resulting in lower prices realized on oil, natural gas and NGL sales; the need to secure derivative liabilities and the inability of counterparties to satisfy their obligations; adverse developments or losses from pending or future litigation and regulatory proceedings, including royalty claims; charges incurred in response to market conditions; drilling and operating risks and resulting liabilities; effects of environmental protection laws and regulations on our business; legislative and regulatory initiatives further regulating hydraulic fracturing; our need to secure adequate supplies of water for our drilling operations and to dispose of or recycle the water used; impacts of potential legislative and regulatory actions addressing climate change; federal and state tax proposals affecting our industry; potential OTC derivatives regulation limiting our ability to hedge against commodity price fluctuations; competition in the oil and gas exploration and production industry; a deterioration in general economic, business or industry conditions; negative public perceptions of our industry; limited control over properties we do not operate; pipeline and gathering system capacity constraints and transportation interruptions; terrorist activities and cyber-attacks adversely impacting our operations; and an interruption in operations at our headquarters due to a catastrophic event.

In addition, disclosures concerning the estimated contribution of derivative contracts to our future results of operations are based upon market information as of a specific date. These market prices are subject to significant volatility. Our production forecasts are also dependent upon many assumptions, including estimates of production decline rates from existing wells and the outcome of future drilling activity. We caution you not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date of this news release, and we undertake no obligation to update any of the information provided in this release, except as required by applicable law. In addition, this news release contains time-sensitive information that reflects management's best judgment only as of the date of this news release.

INVESTOR CONTACT:	MEDIA CONTACT:
Brad Sylvester, CFA (405) 935-8870 ir@chk.com	Gordon Pennoyer (405) 935-8878 media@chk.com

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SOURCE Chesapeake Energy Corporation

FAQ

What is the significance of Chesapeake Energy's acquisition of Vine Energy on November 1, 2021?

The acquisition strengthens Chesapeake's position in the Haynesville Shale by adding over 900 drilling locations and enhancing its cash flow.

What are the financial terms of the Chesapeake Energy and Vine Energy merger?

Vine shareholders receive 0.2486 shares of Chesapeake and $1.20 in cash for each share.

What will happen to Vine Energy stock after the acquisition?

Vine Energy's stock will be delisted from the NYSE following the merger.

How does the acquisition impact Chesapeake Energy shareholders?

Chesapeake aims to provide a substantial return of capital to shareholders due to improved free cash flow from the acquisition.