<PAGE>   1
                                                                 EXHIBIT 24

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 (Senior Notes)

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of Chesapeake Energy
Corporation (hereinafter, the "Company"), hereby severally constitute and
appoint Aubrey K. McClendon, Tom L. Ward and Marcus C. Rowland, and each of
them, severally, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with
full power to act without the other and with full power of substitution and
resubstitution, to sign for us, in our names as officers or directors, or both,
of the Company, and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any
state securities regulatory board or commission any documents relating to the
securities offered pursuant to this Registration Statement on Form S-4,
including any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-4 (including
post-effective amendments) and any registration statement for the same offering
that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities
Act of 1933 and any documents required to be filed with respect thereto,
granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power
and authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite and
necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as each of us might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         DATED this 18th day of June, 1998.


/s/ Aubrey K. McClendon                      /s/ Tom L. Ward
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman                Tom L. Ward, President, Chief
of the Board and Chief Execu-                Operating Officer and Director
tive Officer (Principal Execu-                
tive Officer)                                



/s/ Marcus C. Rowland                        /s/ Ronald A. Lefaive
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Marcus C. Rowland, Executive                 Ronald A. Lefaive, Senior
Vice President and Chief                     Vice President - Accounting,
Financial Officer (Principal                 Controller and Chief Accounting 
Financial Officer)                           Officer (Principal Accounting 
                                             Officer)


/s/ E.F. Heizer, Jr.                         /s/ Breene M. Kerr
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
E.F. Heizer, Jr., Director                   Breene M. Kerr, Director


/s/ Shannon T. Self                          /s/ Frederick B. Whittemore
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Shannon T. Self, Director                    Frederick B. Whittemore,
                                             Director

/s/ Walter C. Wilson
--------------------------------             
Walter C. Wilson, Director



                                                                     Page 1 of 5
<PAGE>   2
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 (Senior Notes)

                     CHESAPEAKE ENERGY LOUISIANA CORPORATION


         We, the undersigned officers and directors of the subsidiary named
above (the "Subsidiary") of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, hereby severally
constitute and appoint Aubrey K. McClendon, Tom L. Ward and Marcus C. Rowland,
and each of them, severally, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
each with full power to act without the other and with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, to sign for us, in our names as officers or
directors, or both, of the Subsidiary, and file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and any state securities regulatory board or commission any documents
relating to the securities offered pursuant to this Registration Statement on
Form S-4, including any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-4
(including post-effective amendments) and any registration statement for the
same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under
the Securities Act of 1933 and any documents required to be filed with respect
thereto, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full
power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as each of us might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         DATED this 18th day of June, 1998.




/s/ Aubrey K. McClendon                      /s/ Marcus C. Rowland
-----------------------------------          ----------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman                Marcus C. Rowland, Vice President
of the Board, Chief Executive                and Chief Financial Officer
Officer and Director (Prin-                  (Principal Financial and Accounting
cipal Executive Officer)                     Officer)
                                              

/s/ Tom L. Ward
-----------------------------------
Tom L. Ward, President, Chief
Operating Officer and Director



                                                                     Page 2 of 5
<PAGE>   3

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 (Senior Notes)


                           CHESAPEAKE OPERATING, INC.


         We, the undersigned officers and directors of the subsidiary named
above (the "Subsidiary") of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, hereby severally
constitute and appoint Aubrey K. McClendon, Tom L. Ward and Marcus C. Rowland,
and each of them, severally, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
each with full power to act without the other and with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, to sign for us, in our names as officers or
directors, or both, of the Subsidiary, and file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and any state securities regulatory board or commission any documents
relating to the securities offered pursuant to this Registration Statement on
Form S-4, including any amendments to this Registration Statement on Form S-4
(including post-effective amendments) and any registration statement for the
same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under
the Securities Act of 1933 and any documents required to be filed with respect
thereto, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full
power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and thing requisite
and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
purposes as each of us might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their
substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         DATED this 18th day of June, 1998.




/s/ Aubrey K. McClendon                       /s/ Marcus C. Rowland
-----------------------------------           ----------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman                 Marcus C. Rowland, Executive
of the Board, Chief Executive                 Vice President and Chief
Officer and Director (Prin-                   Financial Officer (Principal
cipal Executive Officer)                      Financial and Accounting
                                              Officer)

/s/ Tom L. Ward
-----------------------------------
Tom L. Ward, President, Chief
Operating Officer and Director


                                                                     Page 3 of 5
<PAGE>   4
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 (Senior Notes)

                             THE AMES COMPANY, INC.
                       CHESAPEAKE ACQUISITION CORPORATION
                             CHESAPEAKE GOTHIC CORP.
                         CHESAPEAKE MID-CONTINENT CORP.




         We, the undersigned officers and directors of the subsidiaries named
above (the "Subsidiaries") of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, hereby severally
constitute and appoint Aubrey K. McClendon, Tom L. Ward and Marcus C. Rowland,
and each of them, severally, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
each with full power to act without the other and with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, to sign for us, in our names as officers or
directors, or both, of the Subsidiaries, and file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and any state securities regulatory board or commission any
documents relating to the securities offered pursuant to this Registration
Statement on Form S-4, including any amendments to this Registration Statement
on Form S-4 (including post-effective amendments) and any registration statement
for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and any documents required to be filed
with respect thereto, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each
of them, full power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to
all intents and purposes as each of us might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of
them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

         DATED this 18th day of June, 1998.




/s/ Aubrey K. McClendon                        /s/ Marcus C. Rowland
----------------------------------             --------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon, President                 Marcus C. Rowland, Vice President
and Director (Principal Execu-                 (Principal Financial and
tive Officer)                                  Accounting Officer)


/s/ Tom L. Ward
----------------------------------
Tom L. Ward, Vice President and
Director


                                                                     Page 4 of 5
<PAGE>   5
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY
                                 (Senior Notes)

                          CHESAPEAKE CANADA CORPORATION
                               SUNOMA ENERGY CORP.

         We, the undersigned officers and directors of the subsidiaries named
above (the "Subsidiaries") of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, hereby severally
constitute and appoint Aubrey K. McClendon, Tom L. Ward and Marcus C. Rowland,
and each of them, severally, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents,
each with full power to act without the other and with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, to sign for us, in our names as officers or
directors, or both, of the Subsidiaries, and file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and any state securities regulatory board or commission any
documents relating to the securities offered pursuant to this Registration
Statement on Form S-4, including any amendments to this Registration Statement
on Form S-4 (including post-effective amendments) and any registration statement
for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and any documents required to be filed
with respect thereto, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each
of them, full power and authority to do and to perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to
all intents and purposes as each of us might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of
them, or their substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

         DATED this 18th day of June, 1998.




/s/ Aubrey K. McClendon                      /s/ Marcus C. Rowland
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Aubrey K. McClendon, Chairman                Marcus C. Rowland, Vice President,
of the Board, Chief Executive                Chief Financial Officer
Officer and Director                         and Treasurer (Principal
(Principal Executive Officer)                Financial and Accounting Officer)


/s/ Tom L. Ward                              /s/ Brock W. Gibson
--------------------------------             -----------------------------------
Tom L. Ward, President and Chief             Brock W. Gibson, Director
Operating Officer 




                                                                     Page 5 of 5