THE future of Shell's massive Stanlow refinery is assured until at least the middle of this century.

Shell UK chairman James Smith said concerns about the availability of conventional fuel sources are unfounded and that Stanlow will be producing petrol, diesel and aviation fuel for many years to come.

He was in Manchester to host the inaugural regional heats of Shell's Springboard initiative, which encourages firms to develop environ-mentally friendly technology.

But in a flying visit to Liverpool he said that, despite concerns of dwindling oil stocks, Stan-low will still be refining fuel and making more intelligent use of the world's resources for years to come.

He said: 'Oil, gas and coal won't run out. It is just that the easy stuff has been done and we are into the difficult stuff now, like deep sea exploration off Russia and the oil sands of North America.

'By the middle of this century the world will probably use twice the energy it uses today.

'But the world will have to be more energy efficient and Stanlow will still be a very major facility for Shell UK in the region and in our global refining portfolio.'

Stanlow employs 800 staff and 800 contractors and a further 500 scientists work for Shell's research facility on the neighbouring Chester Innovation Park.

It produces a sixth of the UK's fuel needs and helped maintain supplies to southern petrol stations and airports in the wake of the recent explosion at the Buncefield fuel plant in Hertfordshire.