Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) is one of the most interesting companies in America right now. After years of poor, and sometimes downright malicious, leadership, the firm has turned a corner in 2013, ridding itself of former CEO and Chairman Aubrey McClendon on April 2013, and trying to get back to its core business.
In order to defeat its cash flow and debt problems, the company has been forced to sell a tremendous amount of assets in the last year or so. A new report, from Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) applauds the efforts at Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK), and puts a twelve month price target of $20 on the company.
Since the start of 2013, Chesapeake Energy Corporation has managed to divest itself of around $2 billion in assets. The company has raised estimates on oil and natural gas production for the full year, and plans on producing more in 2014. The company has also consistently reiterated its concentration on what it calls the “core of the core,” the absolutely essential producing assets that the company owns.
According to the Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) report, the Eagle Ford, Utica, Marcellus and Greater Anadarko Basin field are particularly important to the company going through 2013 and 2014. In Eagle Ford, the company has revealed that production there should increase as efficiency in its operation improved there.
Utica will account for 8 percent of the company’s entire output by the end of 2013 according to the report after the operation there drives up gas production in the middle of 2013. In Eagle Ford, the company is still working on developing its oil fields, but the initial results appear to be pointing in the right direction. Management called the Hogshooter play outstanding so far, and some analysts think it might be one of the most important finds in the history of the company.
Marcellus, which makes up 22 percent of the company’s current output, may be expanded after management noted strong results in parts of the field that were previously though to be dry. Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) has a huge amount of performing assets to its name but these four are the ones to watch in 2013.
Since the start of the year, shares in Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) have increased by more than 16 percent. Shares have been trending lower since the middle of March, however, indicating that investors might not be as confident about the company’s future as they once were.
