CMS Marketing, Services and Trading (CMS-MST) expanded its Canadian presence last week as affiliate PremStar Energy Canada acquired ECNG Inc., an independent energy consulting firm, from El Paso Energy Marketing Canada Inc. for an undisclosed sum. PremStar worked together with a group of former executives from ECNG to acquire the firm.

Toronto-based ECNG provides energy procurement and management services for over 1,000 industrial, commercial and institutional clients with more than 10,000 end-use locations across Canada. With offices in Oakville, Montreal and Vancouver, the company will continue doing business under the ECNG name, as a subsidiary of PremStar. Larry Sandre, vice president of PremStar, said the company has procured gas at a rate of 100 MMcf/d in 1999.

“This acquisition fits well with our vision to further strengthen PremStar’s and CMS-MST’s Canadian presence and is especially strategic as we move toward a deregulated electricity market. ECNG is very well positioned to expand the range of energy services for its clients,” said Max Fantuz, president of PremStar Energy.

PremStar provides a portfolio of energy management services, natural gas supply procurement and storage for a large variety of customers. This is the first move PremStar has made since CMS-MST bought 50% of the Chatham, Ontario-based company in February 1998 (See NGI, Feb 16, 1998). William W. Schivley, executive vice president of CMS-MST said PremStar is the vehicle CMS intends to use to expand its Canadian operations.

“Through our partner, PremStar Energy Canada Ltd., CMS-MST will substantially increase its presence in Canada,” Schivley said. Overall CMS-MST completed 560 energy management projects in 1998.

CMS-MST has annual operating revenue of more than $1.2 billion, with 7,000 industrial and commercial customers throughout the eastern and central United States and Canada. It markets annually about 370 Bcf of natural gas, 7 million MWh of electricity and 1.2 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

John Norris

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