Debt

Our long-term debt consisted of the following as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:



	September 30, 2018						December 31, 2017
	Principal Amount			Carrying Amount			Principal Amount			Carrying Amount
	($ in millions)
7.25% senior notes due 2018	$	44		$	44		$	44		$	44
Floating rate senior notes due 2019	380			380			380			380
6.625% senior notes due 2020	437			437			437			437
6.875% senior notes due 2020	227			227			227			227
6.125% senior notes due 2021	548			548			548			548
5.375% senior notes due 2021	267			267			267			267
4.875% senior notes due 2022	451			451			451			451
8.00% senior secured second lien notes due 2022^(a)	1,416			1,823			1,416			1,895
5.75% senior notes due 2023	338			338			338			338
7.00% senior notes due 2024	850			850			—			—
8.00% senior notes due 2025	1,300			1,290			1,300			1,290
5.5% convertible senior notes due 2026^(b)(c)	1,250			859			1,250			837
7.5% senior notes due 2026	400			400			—			—
8.00% senior notes due 2027	1,300			1,298			1,300			1,298
2.25% contingent convertible senior notes due 2038^(b)	9			8			9			8
Term loan due 2021	—			—			1,233			1,233
Revolving credit facility	645			645			781			781
Debt issuance costs	—			(54		)	—			(63		)
Interest rate derivatives	—			1			—			2
Total debt, net	9,862			9,812			9,981			9,973
Less current maturities of long-term debt, net^(d)	(433		)	(432		)	(53		)	(52		)
Total long-term debt, net	$	9,429		$	9,380		$	9,928		$	9,921

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(a)	On October 29, 2018, we delivered a notice of redemption to the trustee with respect to 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding senior secured second lien notes dues 2022.

(b)

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.


(c)	Prior to maturity under certain circumstances and at the holder’s option, the notes are convertible. During the Current Quarter, the price of our common stock was below the threshold level for conversion and, as a result, the holders do not have the option to convert their notes in the fourth quarter of 2018.


(d)	As of September 30, 2018, net current maturities of long-term debt includes our 7.25% Senior Notes due December 2018, our Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 2019, and due to the holders’ put option, our 2.25% Contingent Convertible Notes due December 2038.

Debt Issuances and Retirements

In the Current Quarter, we issued at par $850 million of 7.00% Senior Notes due 2024 (“2024 notes”) and $400 million of 7.50% Senior Notes due 2026 (“2026 notes”) pursuant to a public offering for net proceeds of $1.230 billion. We used the net proceeds from the senior notes, together with cash on hand and borrowings under our revolving credit facility, to repay in full $1.233 billion of borrowings under our secured term loan due 2021 for $1.285 billion, which included a $52 million call premium. We recorded a loss of approximately $65 million associated with the repayment of the term loan, including the call premium and the write-off of $13 million of associated deferred charges.

We may redeem some or all of the 2024 notes at any time prior to April 1, 2021 and some or all of the 2026 notes at any time prior to October 1, 2021, in each case at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed plus a “make-whole” premium. At any time prior to April 1, 2021, with respect to the 2024 notes, and October 1, 2021, with respect to the 2026 notes, we also may redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of each series of notes with an amount of cash not greater than the net cash proceeds of certain equity offerings at a specified redemption price. In addition, we may redeem some or all of the 2024 notes at any time on or after April 1, 2021 and some or all of the 2026 notes at any time on or after October 1, 2021, in each case at the redemption prices in accordance with the terms of the notes and the indenture and supplemental indenture governing the notes. These senior notes are unsecured obligations of Chesapeake and rank equally in right of payment with all of our other existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and rank senior in right of payment to all of our future subordinated indebtedness. Our obligations under the senior notes are jointly and severally, fully and unconditionally guaranteed by certain of our direct and indirect wholly owned subsidiaries.

In the Prior 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 net loss of approximately $1 million in the Prior Quarter and an aggregate gain of approximately $183 million in the Prior Period including $260 million of premium associated with our 8.00% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2022.

Revolving Credit Facility

On September 12, 2018, we amended and restated our credit agreement dated December 15, 2014. The amended and restated revolving credit facility matures in September 2023 and the aggregate initial commitment of the lenders and borrowing base under the facility is $3.0 billion. The revolving credit facility provides for an accordion feature, pursuant to which the aggregate commitments thereunder may be increased to up to $4.0 billion from time to time, subject to agreement of the participating lenders and certain other customary conditions. Borrowing base redeterminations will continue to occur semiannually and our next borrowing base redetermination is scheduled for the second quarter of 2019. As of September 30, 2018, we had outstanding borrowings of $645 million under the revolving credit facility and had used $182 million of the revolving credit facility for various letters of credit. We recorded a loss of $3 million associated with certain deferred charges related to the revolving credit facility prior to this amendment.

Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at an alternative base rate (ABR) or LIBOR, at our election, plus an applicable margin ranging from0.50%-2.00% per annum for ABR loans and 1.50%-3.00% per annum for LIBOR loans, depending on the percentage of the borrowing base then being utilized and whether our leverage ratio exceeds 4.00 to 1.

Our revolving credit facility is subject to various financial and other covenants. The terms of the revolving credit facility include covenants limiting, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, make investments or loans, incur liens, consummate mergers and similar fundamental changes, make restricted payments, make investments in unrestricted subsidiaries and enter into transactions with affiliates. Our revolving credit facility contains financial covenants that, after a transition period and the suspension of most of the covenants during the fourth quarter of 2018 as a result of the closing of the sale of certain of our Utica Shale properties pursuant to our purchase and sale agreement with EAP Ohio, LLC (“Encino”), requires the Company to maintain (i) a leverage ratio of not more than 5.50 to 1 through the fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2019, which threshold decreases over time to 4.00 to 1 for the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2021 and each fiscal quarter thereafter, (ii) a secured leverage ratio of not more than 2.50 to 1 until the later of (x) the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2021 or (y) the fiscal quarter in when the Company’s leverage ratio does not exceed 4.00 to 1 and (iii) a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 2.00 to 1 through the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2019; not less than 2.25 to 1 through the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2020; and not less than 2.50 to 1 for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2020 and thereafter. For the Current Quarter, we were subject to the financial covenants applicable prior to the amended and restated revolving credit facility in addition to maintaining a leverage ratio of not more than 5.50 to 1.

As of September 30, 2018, we were in compliance with all applicable financial covenants under the credit agreement and we were able to borrow up to the full availability under the revolving credit facility.

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:



	September 30, 2018				December 31, 2017
	Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value		Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value
			($ in millions)
Short-term debt (Level 1)	$	432	$	433	$	52	$	53
Long-term debt (Level 1)	$	3,495	$	3,546	$	2,633	$	2,629
Long-term debt (Level 2)	$	5,884	$	6,010	$	7,286	$	7,301