The largest producer of natural gas in the US. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company’s operations are focused on exploratory and developmental drilling and corporate and property acquisitions. Chesapeake is a leader in the extraction of gas shale, but with the credit crunch in the summer of 2008, the company has found itself unable to access the credit market and has been forced to sell certain of its properties to raise cash, such as to BP that has ample cash lying around and is under pressure to expand its portfolio of energy projects as concerns mount about its ability to expand production.