As the first two Topaz-branded service stations opened today - at Dublin Port and in Citywest - it has emerged that the Shell and Statoil names will soon be no more.

Topaz Energy, the group which bought out more than 300 of Ireland's Shell and Statoil filling stations between 2005 and 2006, is to re-brand them all.

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The move is part of a €50m investment programme to remove the familiar names from the forecourts and to replace them with the Topaz identity.

It will be one of the largest consumer re-branding exercises in this country in recent years.

A spokesman at Topaz said the move will create 400 new jobs too as the new name will also appear on 100 convenience stores and seven sea terminals as well as the 350 service stations.

The company's commercial and aviation fuels business will also come under the new identity.

The €50m investment also covers the acquisition and development of sites for a number of new shops and service stations.

(BMcC)