Chesapeake Energy engaged Goldman Sachs Bank, Citigroup Global Markets and MUFG to assist with the arrangement of a secured five-year term loan in an aggregate principal amount of $1 billion. Chesapeake intends to use the net proceeds of the loan to finance tender offers for certain of its unsecured notes.

Chesapeake expects this financing and the tender offers to improve its financial flexibility as it will allow for the retirement of existing debt with upcoming maturities.

The loan will be from one or more commercial banks and will be secured by the same collateral securing the company’s revolving credit facility.

Amounts borrowed under the new term loan facility will be unconditionally guaranteed on a joint and several basis by Chesapeake’s direct and indirect wholly owned domestic subsidiaries that are guarantors under the company’s revolving credit facility.

Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake’s ability to establish the new facility and borrow thereunder will be subject to the receipt of commitments from lenders to provide the facility, the negotiation and execution of definitive loan documents and other customary conditions.