The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Sept. 14, edition that the pace of mergers is increasing in Canada. The Globe's Geoffrey Morgan writes that the energy sector is becoming a slow-growth area that demands deep pockets and diversified revenue -- the kind of business that favours big mergers that can lead to cost-cutting during lean years. It is not a new concept. Previous tough times have produced big energy tie-ups that were also trumpeted as births of Canadian champions, such as that of PanCanadian Energy and Alberta Energy Co., which created EnCana in 2002, and Suncor Energy's $18-billion takeover of PetroCanada seven years later. Among oil majors, Chevron bought Texaco, BP acquired Amoco, Exxon absorbed Mobil and Conoco snapped up Phillips in deals during the downturn of the 1990s and early 2000s. Over the past year, Suncor has played consolidator again, bulking up on Syncrude Canada interests by acquiring Canadian Oil Sands, then snapping up Murphy Oil's 5-per-cent interest. Enbridge's friendly deal with Spectra Energy, announced last week, represents a bid to create a Canadian energy transport champion that is diverse along geographic and business lines.