Adding a Partner…

Article Excerpt

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY $19.30 (New York symbol CHK; SI Rating: Extra risk) (405-848- 8000; www.chkenergy.com; Shares outstanding: 601.0 million; Market cap: $11.6 billion) plans to sell a 32.5% stake in its Marcellus shale gas acreage in the eastern U.S. to Norway’s Statoil- Hydro for $3.38 billion. StatoilHydro will initially pay $1.25 billion in cash, and then pay $2.13 billion to fund 75% of drilling costs between 2009 and 2012. The deal transaction covers 1.8 million acres of land. The two companies also formed a strategic alliance to jointly develop unconventional gas reserves in China, Ukraine and Romania. The $1.25 billion in cash will help Chesapeake meet its capital spending plans next year. It also puts it well on its way to meeting its goal of having $3 billion in cash by year-end. Chesapeake currently has about $1.2 billion in cash on hand. Chesapeake is the third-largest U.S. natural gas producer after BP and ConocoPhillips. Chesapeake is a buy. buy…