1
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 15, 2000
                                             Registration No. 333-______________

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                             ----------------------

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                          CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

       OKLAHOMA                                          73-1395733
(State of Incorporation)                   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

            6100 NORTH WESTERN AVENUE, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73118
               (Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

              CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION 1999 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

              AUBREY K. MCCLENDON                         COPIES TO:
           CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND               CONNIE S. STAMETS, ESQ.
            CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER             WINSTEAD, SECHREST & MINICK P.C.
         CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION              5400 RENAISSANCE TOWER
           6100 NORTH WESTERN AVENUE                    1201 ELM STREET
         OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73118                DALLAS, TEXAS 75270
    (Name and address for agent for service)

                                 (405) 848-8000
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



                                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
====================================================================================================================
                                                    Proposed                Proposed
        Title of                Amount              Maximum                  Maximum
    Securities to be            to be            Offering Price             Aggregate               Amount of
       Registered           Registered(1)          Per Share            Offering Price(2)      Registration Fee(2)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   
Common Stock, $.01 par
value per share               3,000,000               (2)                  $5,332,676                $1,408
====================================================================================================================


(1)     Pursuant to Rule 416, there are registered hereunder such indeterminate
        number of additional shares as may become issuable upon exercise of the
        options as a result of the antidilution provisions of the Chesapeake
        Energy Corporation 1999 Sock Option Plan.

(2)     Calculated pursuant to paragraphs (c) and (h) of Rule 457, based on
        outstanding options to purchase 1,165,000 shares of Common Stock at
        $0.94 per share, 5,000 shares of Common Stock at $2.38 per share and
        1,613,650 shares of Common Stock at $2.25 per share and, with respect to
        the 216,350 remaining shares being registered, the average of the high
        and low prices of the Common Stock of Chesapeake Energy Corporation on
        the New York Stock Exchange on February 11, 2000, which was $2.75. The
        proposed maximum aggregate offering price was therefore determined as
        follows:



                                                    
                                   1,165,000 x $0.94 = $1,095,100
                                       5,000 x $2.38 =     11,900
                                   1,613,650 x $2.25 =  3,630,713
                                     216,350 x $2.75 =    594,963
                                                       ----------
                                                       $5,332,676
                                                       ==========



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                                     PART I

              INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

                           ITEM 1. PLAN INFORMATION.*

     ITEM 2. REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION.*

- -----------------------

*       Information required by Part I of Form S-8 to be contained in a
        prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities
        Act of 1933 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance
        with Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Note to Part I of
        Form S-8.



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                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                ITEM 3. INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

        Chesapeake Energy Corporation (the "Registrant") incorporates by
reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed by the
Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"):

        (a)       The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
                  year ended December 31, 1998;

        (b)       All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
                  13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
                  "Exchange Act") since December 31, 1998; and

        (c)       The description of the Registrant's common stock, par value
                  $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), contained in the
                  Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-B under the
                  Exchange Act, filed by the Registrant with the Commission and
                  declared effective on December 12, 1996, including any
                  amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such
                  description.

        All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement
and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all
securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then
remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

                       ITEM 4. DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

        Not applicable. The Registrant's Common Stock has been registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

                 ITEM 5. INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

                                 Not applicable.

               ITEM 6. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

        Section 1031 of the Oklahoma General Corporation Act, under which the
Registrant is incorporated, authorizes the indemnification of directors and
officers under certain circumstances. Article VIII of the Certificate of
Incorporation of the Registrant and Article VI of the Bylaws of the Registrant
also provide for indemnification of directors and officers under certain
circumstances. These provisions, together with the Registrant's indemnification
obligations under individual


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indemnity agreements with its directors and officers, may be sufficiently broad
to indemnify such persons for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. In addition, the Registrant maintains insurance which insures its
directors and officers against certain liabilities.

                  ITEM 7. EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

                                 Not applicable.

                                ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.



Exhibit Number                     Description
- --------------                     -----------
                 
      4.1           Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended.
                    Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
                    Registrant's Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on
                    Form S-3 (No. 333-57235).

      4.2           Bylaws of the Registrant. Incorporated herein by reference
                    to Exhibit 3.2 to Registrant's Registration Statement on
                    Form 8-B (No. 001-13726).

      5.1           Opinion of Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. regarding the
                    validity of the securities being registered.

     23.1           Consent of Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. (included as part
                    of Exhibit 5.1).

     23.2           Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

     23.3           Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

     23.4           Consent of Ryder Scott Company Petroleum Engineers.

     24.1           Power of Attorney.

     99             Chesapeake Energy Corporation 1999 Stock Option Plan.
                    Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1.5 to
                    Registrant's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999.



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                              ITEM 9. UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a) The Registrant hereby undertakes:

             (1)    to file, during any period in which offers or sales are
                    being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration
                    Statement:

                   (i)   to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
                         of the Securities Act of 1933;

                   (ii)  to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                         arising after the effective date of this Registration
                         Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                         thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                         represent a fundamental change in the information set
                         forth in this Registration Statement;

                   (iii) to include any material information with respect to
                         the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                         this Registration Statement or any material change to
                         such information in this Registration Statement;

             provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
             apply if the information required to be included in a
             post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
             periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or
             Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
             incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

             (2)    That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                    Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment
                    shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
                    to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                    securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
                    bona fide offering thereof.

             (3)    To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                    amendment any of the securities being registered which
                    remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b) The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's
annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in this Registration
Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing


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provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of
the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.


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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Oklahoma City, State of Oklahoma on February 15,
2000.


                                        CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORPORATION


                                        By: /s/ AUBREY K. MCCLENDON
                                            -----------------------------------
                                            Aubrey K. McClendon
                                            Chairman of the Board and Chief
                                            Executive Officer


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on February 15, 2000.



                  SIGNATURE                                                     TITLE
                  ---------                                                     -----
                                                         
         /s/ AUBREY K. MCCLENDON                            Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive
- ------------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon                                         Officer and Director
                                                            (Principal Executive Officer)

         /s/ TOM L. WARD                                    President, Chief Operating Officer and
- ------------------------------------                        Director
Tom L. Ward                                                 (Principal Executive Officer)


         /s/ MARCUS C. ROWLAND                              Executive Vice President and Chief
- ------------------------------------                        Financial Officer
Marcus C. Rowland                                           (Principal Financial Officer)


         /s/ MICHAEL A. JOHNSON                             Vice President - Accounting and Controller
- ------------------------------------                        (Principal Accounting Officer)
Michael A. Johnson

         /s/ EDGAR F. HEIZER, JR.                           Director
- ------------------------------------
Edgar F. Heizer, Jr.

         /s/ BREENE M. KERR                                 Director
- ------------------------------------
Breene M. Kerr



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         /s/ SHANNON T. SELF                                Director
- ------------------------------------
Shannon T. Self
        /S/ FREDERICK B. WHITTEMORE
- ------------------------------------                       Director
Frederick B. Whittemore

         /s/ WALTER C. WILSON                               Director
- ------------------------------------
Walter C. Wilson



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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                                                                   Sequentially
Exhibit                                                                              Numbered
Number                               Description                                      Pages
- -------                              -----------                                   -------------
                                                                             
    4.1             Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as amended
                    Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to
                    Registrant's Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement on
                    Form S-3 (No. 333-57235).

    4.2             Bylaws of the Registrant. Incorporated herein by reference
                    to Exhibit 3.2 to Registrant's Registration Statement on
                    Form 8-B (No. 001-13726).

    5.1             Opinion of Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. regarding the
                    validity of the securities being registered.

   23.1             Consent of Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C. (included as part
                    of Exhibit 5.1).

   23.2             Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

   23.3             Consent of Williamson Petroleum Consultants, Inc.

   23.4             Consent of Ryder Scott Company Petroleum Engineers.

   24.1             Power of Attorney.

   99               Chesapeake Energy Corporation 1999 Stock Option Plan.
                    Incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1.5 to
                    Registrant's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999.