Colombian Rebels Kidnap 23 Oil Workers For Talisman Energy

Colombian rebels on Monday kidnapped 23 oil workers for Canadian energy firm Talisman Energy Inc (TLM, TLM.T) Monday, a local spokesman for the company said.

Tomas Rueda, a Talisman spokesman, told RCN Radio station the workers were all Colombian nationals, and weren't direct employees of the company but were doing subcontracting work.

The kidnapping reportedly took place in a region called Guerima in the state of Vichada.

Rueda said it wasn't clear whether Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, was responsible for the kidnapping.

"The authorities haven't confirmed that," he said.

Local officials in the area weren't immediately available to comment.

Talisman, along with state-run oil firm Ecopetrol (EC, ECOPETROL.BO) in January completed a planned purchase of the Colombian assets of BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) for $1.75 billion.

-By Dan Molinski, Dow Jones Newswires; 57-310-867-6542; [e-mail]