Colombian firm scraps Venezuelan gas import plans

Colombia's plans to import gas from Venezuela have been cast into doubt amid the sprawling graft scandal at Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. 

Negotiations between Colombian firm Integral Energy Plus and Caracas-based Prodata Energy were halted after the arrest of Prodata associate Bernardo Arosio on corruption charges. 

"Although it is true that Bernardo Arosio does not have any participation in Integral Energy Plus, his status as a partner of Prodata Energy ... which is one of the shareholders of Integral Energy Plus, makes it unfeasible to go ahead with the project that was being carried out to import gas from Venezuela to Colombia," Integral Energy Plus said in a statement. 

Media reports late last year claimed that officials had agreed a deal in which 25 million cubic feet a day would be sent to Colombia from Venezuelan gas fields via the currently idle Antonio Ricuarte pipeline.

Colombian energy minister Irene Vélez has repeatedly raised the prospect of re-opening a 224km cross-border pipeline, which has been out of service for almost a decade. 

The PDVSA corruption probe has led to the arrest of dozens of officials and last week prompted the resignation of oil minister Tareck El Aissami.