頁巖氣拍賣增加 Chesapeake Energy股票大漲

The deal brings total asset sales announced so far this year to $1.2 billion and more will follow by the end of September, the company said in a statement on Thursday. The Newfield agreement covers 42,000 acres, an area equivalent in size to Brooklyn, as well as 400 wells. Chesapeake shares rose as much as 15% and were up 5.6% at $5.97 at 9:51 a.m. in New York.

The latest transaction follows CEO Doug Lawler’s pledge in February to close on as much as $1.7 billion in asset sales by the end of 2016. Since his arrival at Chesapeake in 2013, he’s orchestrated more than $10 billion in property disposals, unwinding much of the empire constructed over a quarter century by his predecessor, the late Aubrey McClendon.

Chesapeake, a shale driller that pumps more U.S. gas than any company besides Exxon Mobil Corp., has been stung by tumbling energy prices and investor skepticism that it can shoulder its heavy debt load amid the downturn. Lawler slashed thousands of jobs, sold off gas fields, renegotiated pipeline fees and pledged more than 90% of Chesapeake’s assets as collateral to cope with shrinking cash flow and retain access to its line of credit.