Chesapeake Energy To Build New Eastern headquarters in West Virginia.


From the Charleston Daily Mail

Gas company to build
division headquarters at NorthGate

George Hohmann
Daily Mail business editor

Tuesday July 18, 2006
Chesapeake Energy announced today it has purchased 27 acres at NorthGate Business Park for its Eastern Division headquarters.

Michael John, vice president of operations, said Chesapeake picked the privately-owned business park off Greenbrier Street because of its campus-like setting and proximity to Yeager Airport and Interstates 64 and 77.

Chesapeake's NorthGate property is near the Ticketmaster building, he said.

Asked if Chesapeake looked at many other sites, John said, "I would say we gave it careful consideration. We looked at what we believed to be all of the sites in the immediate area that had potential. Given our space needs and the fact that we have to accommodate for growth in the future, this was the clear winner."

The company said earlier this year it wants a signature structure that helps emphasize Chesapeake's commitment to West Virginia. John said architectural details are still being finalized.

"I would expect the first building to be no more than four stories and I would expect the first building to accommodate 200 employees," he said.

Chesapeake currently leases space in the City Center West tower where it has 140 employees, he said.

The company hopes to break ground early this fall and move in sometime in late 2007 or early 2008, John said.

He described the headquarters as "the first building on a piece of property that can easily accommodate multiple buildings."

John said Chesapeake has contracted with Silling and Associates of Charleston as the local engineering firm for construction. Silling will team with Elliott and Associates, an Oklahoma City-based architectural firm that has done work for Chesapeake at the company's corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City.

"The important point is, Elliot's involvement allows us to ensure consistency of design of the campus here with the campus in Oklahoma," he said. The Oklahoma campus contains 19 buildings. About 1,800 employees work there. None of the buildings there is taller than four stories.

John said Chesapeake is pleased to begin work and fulfill the promise of building the division headquarters that Gov. Manchin mentioned during his State-of-the-State address in January.

Chesapeake Energy bought Columbia Natural Resources for $2.2 billion in November from Charleston-based Triana Energy. Before the deal, Chesapeake Energy's natural gas exploration and drilling activities were focused in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Louisiana.

Chesapeake Energy is the second largest independent producer of natural gas in the country.

Contact writer George Hohmann at business@dailymail.com or 348-4836.