Singapore (Platts)--26Nov2012/410 am EST/910 GMT

Three employees of China National Petroleum Corp who were kidnapped in Colombia last year have returned to Beijing following their release on November 22, CNPC said Monday on its website.

The three were working for CNPC's subsidiary Great Wall Drilling Co. in southern Caqueta province. A fourth Chinese citizen, working for another company, was also released, CNPC said.

The four were captured by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC, in June 2011 while traveling in a rural area near the city of San Vicente de Caguan.

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Chinese media reports at the time said they had been working as contractors for Emerald Energy, a subsidiary of China's Sinochem.

CNPC said Monday the Chinese and Colombian governments worked closely to help secure the hostages' release.

Their release came two days after peace talks resumed between FARC and the Colombian government in Havana, Cuba, to end over 50 years of war.

FARC had earlier declared a two month ceasefire until January 20 as a show of goodwill toward the negotiations.

--Song Yen Ling, yen_ling_song@platts.com --Edited by Martin O'Rourke, martin_orourke@platts.com

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