8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 2, 2009

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

Oklahoma	1-13726	73-1395733
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File No.)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

6100 North Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	73118
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(405) 848-8000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

*           Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

*           Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

*           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

*           Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Section 5 – Corporate Governance and Management

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 J. Mark Lester, Executive Vice President—Exploration of Chesapeake Energy Corporation (the “Company”), has notified the Company that he will retire as an officer and employee of the Company effective January 29, 2010.  Mr. Lester will serve as a consultant to the Company through June 30, 2010.

Section 7 – Regulation FD

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

 On December 8, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing Mr. Lester’s retirement.  The press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

 On December 7, 2009, the Company issued a press release announcing it was named Energy Producer of the Year at the 11th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards program in New York and also received the Industry Leadership Award. The press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.2.

Section 9 – Financial Statements and Exhibits

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 (d)Exhibits.  See "Index to Exhibits" attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K, which is incorporated by reference herein.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Jennifer M. Grigsby
	Jennifer M. Grigsby
	Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Corporate Secretary

Date:           December 8, 2009

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Document Description
99.1	Chesapeake Energy Corporation press release dated December 8, 2009
99.2	Chesapeake Energy Corporation press release dated December 7, 2009

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

N e w s   R e l e a s e   Chesapeake Energy Corporation P. O. Box 18496 Oklahoma City, OK  73154

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 8, 2009

INVESTOR CONTACT: JEFFREY L. MOBLEY, CFA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – INVESTOR RELATIONS AND RESEARCH (405) 767-4763 jeff.mobley@chk.com MEDIA CONTACT: JIM GIPSON DIRECTOR – MEDIA RELATIONS  (405) 935-1310 jim.gipson@chk.com

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT OF

J. MARK LESTER, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF EXPLORATION

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, DECEMBER 8, 2009 – Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) today announced that its Executive Vice President of Exploration, J. Mark Lester, will retire from the company at the end of January 2010.  Mr. Lester will serve as a consultant to Chesapeake through June 30, 2010 and help transition his responsibilities to Chesapeake’s Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Steven C. Dixon.

Mr. Lester, 56, began his career with Unocal in 1977 and subsequently consulted for various private independent exploration and production companies for several years.  He began consulting for Chesapeake’s co-founders, Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward, in 1986 and formally joined Chesapeake as one of its first employees in 1989.  During his 20-year career at Chesapeake, he led the company’s exploration program and helped build Chesapeake into one of the leading producers of natural gas in the U.S.  Mr. Lester oversaw the drilling of approximately 10,000 wells operated by Chesapeake, including more than 3,500 horizontal wells, of which approximately 2,700 were horizontal shale wells – levels of activity that are believed to be historically unprecedented in the industry.

During the past four years, Mr. Lester and his team of more than 250 geoscientists and technical professionals have guided Chesapeake’s unconventional asset identification and development programs, which now include more than 2.7 million net acres of leasehold in the Big 4 shale plays, and achieved multiple significant discoveries including the Haynesville Shale and Colony Granite Wash plays.  In addition, Mr. Lester led the creation of Chesapeake’s unique state-of-the-art Reservoir Technology Center.

Mr. Lester commented, “I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished and built during my 20-year career at Chesapeake.  I have been fortunate to work with so many wonderful and talented people, including the best Geoscience staff in the industry.  However, it is simply time for me to move on to the next phase of my life, which will involve far fewer working hours and far more recreational hours than I have been accustomed to at Chesapeake.  I thank Aubrey McClendon, Tom Ward and all of my colleagues at Chesapeake for a tremendous adventure during the past 23 years.”

Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Mark Lester has been a key member of our executive management team at Chesapeake since the very beginning of our company.  Mark is very deserving of the opportunity to shift his priorities from the high activity levels at Chesapeake to enjoy a slower pace.  We all congratulate Mark on a distinguished career at Chesapeake and are very happy he is able to make this decision after much thought and consideration.  He will be greatly missed by all of his colleagues at Chesapeake and we wish him well in the next phase of his life.”

Chesapeake Energy Corporation is one of the leading producers of natural gas in the U.S.  Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company's operations are focused on the development of onshore unconventional and conventional natural gas in the U.S. in the Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale, Fayetteville Shale, Marcellus Shale, Anadarko Basin, Arkoma Basin, Appalachian Basin, Permian Basin, Delaware Basin, South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas regions of the United States.  Further information is available at www.chk.com.

EX-99.2

Exhibit 99.2

N e w s   R e l e a s e   Chesapeake Energy Corporation P. O. Box 18496 Oklahoma City, OK  73154

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DECEMBER 7, 2009

INVESTOR CONTACT: JEFFREY L. MOBLEY, CFA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT – INVESTOR RELATIONS AND RESEARCH (405) 767-4763 jeff.mobley@chk.com MEDIA CONTACT: JIM GIPSON DIRECTOR – MEDIA RELATIONS  (405) 935-1310 jim.gipson@chk.com

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION NAMED ENERGY PRODUCER OF

THE YEAR AND RECEIVES INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARD

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, DECEMBER 7, 2009 – Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) was named Energy Producer of the Year at the 11th Annual Platts Global Energy Awards program in New York and also received the Industry Leadership Award.  Chesapeake was also a finalist for the Deal of the Year, CEO of the Year and Community Development Program of the Year awards.  Chesapeake is one of only two companies that received multiple awards this year and one of only three companies selected as a finalist in five or more categories.  This is the second time in three years that Chesapeake has been named the Energy Producer of the Year by Platts.

The Platts Global Energy Awards recognize excellence and innovation by companies and executives throughout the global energy industry.  A total of approximately 150 individuals and companies were finalists for the Global Energy Awards with hundreds more nominated.  According to Platts, “The Energy Producer of the Year Award recognizes excellence in the upstream energy sector for companies that have set world class standards in exploring for and finding new resources, maximizing technical excellence and innovation in resource extraction, and bringing complex or difficult projects to completion on schedule and on budget.  The panel of independent international judges noted Chesapeake’s expertise in shale gas plays and its very high success rate in exploration activities.”

Platts also stated, “The Industry Leadership Award is given to companies that demonstrate the vision to change the way the energy industry works or finds new ways of doing things that become the standard by which other companies are measured.”  The panel of judges said in addition to the company’s success in providing new supplies of natural gas from shales, “Chesapeake has done a masterful job campaigning for natural gas to become the fuel of the future.”

Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are proud of the accomplishments of our 8,300 employees and honored to be selected as the Energy Producer of the Year for two of the last three years and to receive the Industry Leadership Award for 2009.  Our industry-leading position in the Big 4 shale plays has generated tremendous growth for the company and delivered new supplies of natural gas to consumers.  In addition, I am proud of our company’s leadership role in founding the American Clean Skies Foundation and in being a founding member of America’s Natural Gas Alliance.  We will continue to communicate to consumers and policymakers the powerful and important message that clean, affordable, abundant, American natural gas is the most practical solution for the nation’s energy needs.”

About Platts: Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of energy and commodities information. With a century of business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries. An independent provider, Platts serves the oil,natural gas, electricity, emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical, shipping, and metals markets from 17 offices worldwide. Platts' real-time news, pricing, analytical services and conferences help markets operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts, and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and investment decisions. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation is one of the leading producers of natural gas in the U.S.  Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company's operations are focused on the development of onshore unconventional and conventional natural gas in the U.S. in the Barnett Shale, Haynesville Shale, Fayetteville Shale, Marcellus Shale, Anadarko Basin, Arkoma Basin, Appalachian Basin, Permian Basin, Delaware Basin, South Texas, Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas regions of the United States.  Further information is available at www.chk.com.