BRIEF CASE

2 Chesapeake directors resign

Two directors at Chesapeake Energy Corp. who rep resented NGP Energy Capital Management informed the company Friday after the close of trading that they resigned, the company announced.

Scott A.Gie selma na nd David W. Hayes, both partners at NGP Energy, were the investment firm's representatives on Chesapeake's board.

NGP Energy had owned about 310.8 million shares in Chesapeake. But before markets opened Tuesday, it informed the Oklahoma City- based oil and natural gas producer it had opted to distribute those shares to its respective partners, enabling those firms to make their own decisions about how to handle the investment.

Gieselman, a member of Chesapeake's board since May, had served on its finance, nominating, governance and social responsibility committees. Hayes, a member of the board since February, had served on its audit and compensation committees.

On Friday, Chesapeake stated that the decisions of both men to resign were not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices. The company's shares gained about a penny on Friday to close at about 70 cents per share.

OK rig count climbs

Oklahoma' s rig count increased by one this week as the nationwide number of working rigs declined, Baker Hughes reported Friday.

This week's national working rig count is 806, off 11 for the week and off 276 from the 1,082 that were drilling a year ago.

In Oklahoma, the count increased to 52, compared to 146 a year ago. The number of rigs working in the Cana Woodford basin declined by one week-over-week, to 28.

The most active basins this week, Baker Hughes said, are the Permian in west Texas and southeast New Mexico at 408, the south Texas Eagle Ford at 60, the Haynesville and Williston at 51 each and the Marcellus at 37.