Equity

Common Stock

The following is a summary of the changes in our common shares issued for the Current Period and the Prior Period:



	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2015	2014
	(in thousands)
Shares issued as of January 1	664,944	666,192
Restricted stock issuances (net of forfeitures and cancellations)^(a)	85	(2,413	)
Stock option exercises	14	1,267
Shares issued as of September 30	665,043	665,046

___________________________________________


(a)	The Prior Period reflects forfeitures upon the June 2014 spin-off of our oilfield services business.

Preferred Stock

The following reflects the shares outstanding of our preferred stock for the Current Period and the Prior Period:



	5.75%	5.75% (A)	4.50%	5.00% (2005B)
	(in thousands)
Shares outstanding as of January 1, 2015 and 2014 and shares outstanding as of September 30, 2015 and 2014	1,497	1,100	2,559	2,096

Dividends

Dividends declared on our common stock and preferred stock are reflected as adjustments to retained earnings to the extent a surplus of retained earnings exists after giving effect to the dividends. To the extent retained earnings are insufficient to fund the distributions, dividend declarations are accounted for as a reduction to paid-in capital.

In July 2015, our Board of Directors determined to eliminate quarterly cash dividends on our common stock. Dividends on our outstanding preferred stock are payable quarterly. We may pay dividends on our 5.00% Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (Series 2005B) and our 4.50% Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock in cash, common stock or a combination thereof, at our option. Dividends on both series of our 5.75% Cumulative Convertible Non-Voting Preferred Stock are payable only in cash.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

For the Current Period and the Prior Period, changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component, net of tax, are detailed below.



	Cash Flow Hedges			Investments			Net Change
	($ in millions)
Balance, December 31, 2014	$	(143	)	$	—		$	(143	)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	6			—			6
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	18			—			18
Net other comprehensive income	24			—			24
Balance, September 30, 2015	$	(119	)	$	—		$	(119	)

Balance, December 31, 2013	$	(167	)	$	5		$	(162	)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	3			—			3
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	13			(5		)	8
Net other comprehensive income	16			(5		)	11
Balance, September 30, 2014	$	(151	)	$	—		$	(151	)

For the Current Quarter, the Prior Quarter, the Current Period and the Prior Period, amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, into the condensed consolidated statements of operations are detailed below.



Details About Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Components	Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented	Amounts Reclassified
		($ in millions)
Three Months Ended September 30, 2015
Net losses on cash flow hedges:
Commodity contracts	Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues	$	5
Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax		$	5

Three Months Ended September 30, 2014
Net losses on cash flow hedges:
Commodity contracts	Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues	$	3
Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax		$	3

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015
Net losses on cash flow hedges:
Commodity contracts	Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues	$	18
Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax		$	18

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
Net losses on cash flow hedges:
Commodity contracts	Oil, natural gas and NGL revenues	$	13
Investments:
Sale of investment	Net gain on sale of investment	(5		)
Total reclassifications for the period, net of tax		$	8

Noncontrolling Interests

Cleveland Tonkawa Financial Transaction. We formed CHK C-T in March 2012 to continue development of a portion of our oil and natural gas assets in our Cleveland and Tonkawa plays. In exchange for all of the common shares of CHK C-T, we contributed to CHK C-T approximately 245,000 net acres of leasehold and the existing wells within an area of mutual interest in the plays between the top of the Tonkawa and the top of the Big Lime formations covering Ellis and Roger Mills counties in western Oklahoma. In March 2012, in a private placement, third-party investors contributed $1.25 billion in cash to CHK C-T in exchange for (i) 1.25 million preferred shares, and (ii) our obligation to deliver a 3.75% overriding royalty interest (ORRI) in the existing wells and up to 1,000 future net wells to be drilled on the contributed play leasehold. We initially committed to drill and complete, for the benefit of CHK C-T in the area of mutual interest, a minimum cumulative total of 300 net wells. We ultimately drilled and completed 190 net wells, and the drilling commitment was suspended in January 2015.

In the Current Quarter, CHK C-T sold all of its oil and natural gas properties to FourPoint Energy, LLC (FourPoint) and immediately used the consideration received, plus other cash it had on hand, to repurchase and cancel all of the outstanding preferred shares in CHK C-T. Chesapeake is responsible for post-closing adjustments to the purchase price and has certain indemnity obligations in connection with the sale to FourPoint. In connection with the repurchase and cancellation of the CHK C-T preferred stock and related agreements with the CHK C-T investors, we eliminated quarterly preferred dividend payments and all related future drilling and ORRI commitments attributable to CHK C-T. Under the full cost method of accounting, the sale of the oil and natural gas properties was accounted for as a reduction of capitalized costs with no gain or loss recognized.

As of December 31, 2014, $1.015 billion of noncontrolling interests on our condensed consolidated balance sheets was attributable to CHK C-T. In the Current Quarter, the Prior Quarter, the Current Period and the Prior Period, income of $13 million, $19 million, $50 million and $56 million, respectively, was attributable to the noncontrolling interests of CHK C-T.

Utica Financial Transaction. We formed CHK Utica, L.L.C. (CHK Utica) in October 2011 to develop a portion of our Utica Shale oil and natural gas assets. In exchange for all of the common shares of CHK Utica, we contributed to CHK Utica approximately 700,000 net acres of leasehold and the existing wells within an area of mutual interest in the Utica Shale play covering 13 counties located primarily in eastern Ohio. During November and December 2011, in private placements, third-party investors contributed $1.25 billion in cash to CHK Utica in exchange for (i) 1.25 million preferred shares, and (ii) our obligation to deliver a 3% ORRI in 1,500 net wells to be drilled on certain of our Utica Shale leasehold.

In July 2014, we repurchased all of the outstanding preferred shares of CHK Utica from third-party preferred shareholders for approximately $1.254 billion, or approximately $1,189 per share including accrued dividends. The $447 million difference between the cash paid for the preferred shares and the carrying value of the noncontrolling interest acquired was reflected in retained earnings and as a reduction to net income available to common stockholders for purposes of our EPS computations. Pursuant to the transaction, our obligation to pay quarterly dividends to third-party preferred shareholders was eliminated. In addition, the development agreement was terminated pursuant to the transaction, which eliminated our obligation to drill and complete a minimum number of wells within a specified period for the benefit of CHK Utica. Our repurchase of the outstanding preferred shares in CHK Utica did not affect our obligation to deliver a 3% ORRI in 1,500 net wells on certain Utica Shale leasehold.

The CHK Utica investors’ right to receive, proportionately, a 3% ORRI in the first 1,500 net wells drilled on our Utica Shale leasehold is subject to an increase to 4% on net wells earned in any year following a year in which we do not meet our net well commitment under the ORRI obligation, which runs through 2023. However, in no event are we required to deliver to investors more than a total ORRI of 3% in 1,500 net wells. If at any time we hold fewer net acres than would enable us to drill all then-remaining net wells on 150-acre spacing, the investors have the right to require us to repurchase their right to receive ORRIs in the remaining net wells at the then-current fair market value of the remaining ORRIs. We retain the right to repurchase the investors’ right to receive ORRIs in the remaining net wells at the then-current fair market value of the remaining ORRIs once we have drilled a minimum of 1,300 net wells. As of September 30, 2015, we had drilled 482 net wells. The obligation to deliver future ORRIs has been recorded as a liability which will be settled through the future conveyance of the underlying ORRIs to the investors on a net-well basis, at which time the associated liability will be reversed and the sale of the ORRIs reflected as an adjustment to the capitalized cost of our oil and natural gas properties. Because we did not meet our ORRI commitment in 2012, the ORRI increased to 4% for wells earned in 2013, and the ultimate number of wells in which we must assign an interest will be reduced accordingly. We met our ORRI conveyance commitments as of December 31, 2013 and 2014.

In the Prior Quarter and the Prior Period, income of approximately $6 million and $43 million, respectively, was attributable to the noncontrolling interests of CHK Utica.

Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust. In November 2011, Chesapeake Granite Wash Trust (the Trust) sold 23,000,000 common units representing beneficial interests in the Trust at a price of $19.00 per common unit in its initial public offering. The common units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the symbol “CHKR”. We own 12,062,500 common units and 11,687,500 subordinated units, which in the aggregate represent an approximate 51% beneficial interest in the Trust. The Trust has a total of 46,750,000 units outstanding.

In connection with the Trust’s initial public offering, we conveyed royalty interests to the Trust that entitle the Trust to receive (i) 90% of the proceeds (after deducting certain post-production expenses and any applicable taxes) that we receive from the production of hydrocarbons from 69 then-producing wells, and (ii) 50% of the proceeds (after deducting certain post-production expenses and any applicable taxes) in 118 development wells that have been or will be drilled on approximately 45,400 gross acres (29,000 net acres) in the Colony Granite Wash play in Washita County in the Anadarko Basin of western Oklahoma. Pursuant to the terms of a development agreement with the Trust, we are obligated to drill and complete, or cause to be drilled and completed, the development wells at our own expense prior to June 30, 2016, and the Trust is not responsible for any costs related to the drilling and completion of the development wells or any other operating or capital costs of the Trust properties. In addition, we granted to the Trust a lien on our remaining interests in the undeveloped properties that are subject to the development agreement in order to secure our drilling obligation to the Trust, although the maximum amount recoverable by the Trust under the lien was limited to $263 million initially and is proportionately reduced as we fulfill our drilling obligation over time. As of September 30, 2015, we had drilled and completed or caused to be drilled and completed approximately 103 development wells, as calculated under the development agreement, and the maximum amount recoverable under the drilling support lien was approximately $33 million.

The subordinated units we hold in the Trust are entitled to receive pro rata distributions from the Trust each quarter if and to the extent there is sufficient cash to provide a cash distribution on the common units that is not less than the applicable subordination threshold for the quarter. If there is not sufficient cash to fund a distribution on all of the Trust units, the distribution to be made with respect to the subordinated units is reduced or eliminated for the quarter in order to make a distribution, to the extent possible, of up to the subordination threshold amount on the common units. The distribution made with respect to the subordinated units to Chesapeake was either reduced or eliminated for each of the most recent 13 quarters. In exchange for agreeing to subordinate a portion of our Trust units, and in order to provide additional financial incentive to us to satisfy our drilling obligation and perform operations on the underlying properties in an efficient and cost-effective manner, Chesapeake is entitled to receive incentive distributions equal to 50% of the amount by which the cash available for distribution on the Trust units in any quarter exceeds the applicable incentive threshold for the quarter. The remaining 50% of cash available for distribution in excess of the applicable incentive threshold is to be paid to Trust unitholders, including Chesapeake, on a pro rata basis. Through September 30, 2015, no incentive distributions had been made. At the end of the fourth full calendar quarter following our satisfaction of our drilling obligation with respect to the development wells, the subordinated units will automatically convert into common units on a one-for-one basis and our right to receive incentive distributions will terminate. After this time, the common units will no longer have the protection of the subordination threshold, and all Trust unitholders will share in the Trust’s distributions on a pro rata basis.

For the Current Period and the Prior Period, the Trust declared and paid the following distributions:



Production Period	Distribution Date	Cash Distribution per Common Unit		Cash Distribution per Subordinated Unit
March 2015 – May 2015	August 31, 2015	$	0.3579	$	—
December 2014 – February 2015	June 1, 2015	$	0.3899	$	—
September 2014 – November 2014	March 2, 2015	$	0.4496	$	—
March 2014 – May 2014	August 29, 2014	$	0.5796	$	—
December 2013 – February 2014	May 30, 2014	$	0.6454	$	—
September 2013 – November 2013	March 3, 2014	$	0.6624	$	—

We have determined that the Trust is a variable interest entity (VIE) and that Chesapeake is the primary beneficiary. As a result, the Trust is consolidated in our condensed consolidated financial statements. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, $264 million and $287 million, respectively, of noncontrolling interests on our condensed consolidated balance sheets were attributable to the Trust. Net income (loss) attributable to the Trust’s noncontrolling interests is presented in our condensed consolidated statements of operations as income of approximately $1 million in the Current Quarter, income of approximately $6 million in the Prior Quarter, income of a nominal amount in the Current Period and income of approximately $14 million in the Prior Period. See Note 11 for further discussion of VIEs.