© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Chesapeake Energy logo is seen on smartphone in front of displayed stock graph in this illustration taken January 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
(Reuters) – Southwestern Energy (NYSE:) and Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:) are close to a merger that would create a roughly $17-billion company that would rank as one of the largest natural-gas producers in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.