Aubrey Kerr McClendon (July 14, 1959 – March 2, 2016) was an American businessman primarily engaged in natural gas exploration. He was the co-founder, CEO and chairman of Chesapeake Energy (now Expand Energy), and, after being forced from the company due to a possible conflict of interest, he was the founder and chief executive officer of American Energy Partners, LP. He was an outspoken advocate for natural gas as an alternative to oil and coal fuels, and a pioneer in employing hydraulic fracturing. On March 1, 2016, McClendon was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring “to rig bids for the purchase of oil and natural gas leases in northwest Oklahoma”. He died the following day in a single-vehicle collision.
Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy blamed “Congressional apathy” for coal’s price advantages. Photo: F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg News
Source: Post Carbon Institute | Leading the transition to a resilient world (2010) Read More
Triana Energy operated in the Marcellus Shale during the boom’s early expansion, navigating leasing, drilling, and eventual acquisition in a fast-moving market. In a 2009 case in West Virginia, landowners who sold natural gas to Chesapeake and its predecessors — including Triana Energy, NiSource Inc., and Columbia Natural Resources — alleged they were cheated out of portions of their royalty payments. In shale’s rapid ascent, corporate timing and contract terms often moved just as quickly as the drilling rigs.
Source: Triana Energy (2010) Read More
The Barnett Shale Energy Education Council positioned itself as a source of public information about drilling in North Texas, promoting economic benefits and regulatory compliance. Critics viewed the council as industry-aligned messaging during a period of mounting air quality and health concerns. In boom regions, education and advocacy often blur.
Source: Barnett Shale Energy Education Council (2010) Read More