ServiceStar, a division of CenterPoint Energy Field Services, Inc., a subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy , announced today a long-term agreement to provide service enhancing automation and network facilities to Universal Compression, Inc., a subsidiary of Universal Compression Holdings, Inc. . The agreement was reached to meet the evolving needs of Universal and its customers.

ServiceStar will provide remote asset monitoring, facility automation and network access services to Universal throughout its Texas operating region and ultimately covering the entire Universal domestic compression fleet.

ServiceStar, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, is a leading provider of information and communication services, including production and facility automation, remote asset monitoring and control, and real-time global data delivery.

ServiceStar's extensive experience in the energy industry make it uniquely suited to provide Universal innovative services needed to expand its market potential and to enhance the already high standards of customer service and productivity currently provided by Universal.

"Universal looks forward to our new partnership with ServiceStar," said Kirk E. Townsend, senior vice president of Universal Compression and president of its U.S. Division. "We constantly look for opportunities to provide creative solutions to our customers' compression needs, and we believe ServiceStar brings great value to Universal and to our customers. We believe ServiceStar will allow us to provide enhanced runtime to our customer base and better manage our fleet of over 7,400 compressors."

"We are very excited about this long-term agreement with Universal and the tremendous opportunities that this relationship will bring to ServiceStar," Butch Maddox, senior vice president and chief operating officer of CenterPoint Energy Field Services, said. "This agreement provides ServiceStar the platform to expand its core infrastructure model to new market areas and solidifies ServiceStar's position as the leading full service provider of automation and communication services."

Universal Compression Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a leading natural gas compression services company, providing a full range of contract compression, sales, operations, maintenance and fabrication services to the domestic and international natural gas industry. More information on Universal Compression can be found on its web site at www.universalcompression.com .

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electricity transmission and distribution, natural gas distribution and sales, interstate pipeline and gathering operations, and more than 14,000 megawatts of power generation in Texas. The company serves nearly five million customers in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. Assets total nearly $19 billion.

CenterPoint Energy became the new holding company for the regulated operations of the former Reliant Energy, Inc. in August 2002.

With more than 11,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 130 years. For more information, visit our Web site at www.CenterPointEnergy.com .

Make Your Opinion Count - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X73304752

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020930/CNPLOGO

AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/

PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840

SOURCE: CenterPoint Energy