The pipeline will link the natural gas fields in Colombia's La Guajira department and Venezuela's city of Maracaiboin Zulia
Venezuela and Colombia on Saturday launched the construction of a natural gas pipeline in Venezuela's western state of Zulia.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Panamanian President Martin Torrijos attended the inauguration ceremony.
The 225-km pipeline will link the natural gas fields in Colombia's La Guajira department and Venezuela's city of Maracaiboin Zulia.
The project is financed with an investment of 336 million U.S. dollars by state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela and construction is expected to be completed by next May.
The pipeline is expected to send 150 million cubic feet of natural gas (about 4.2 million cubic meters) to Zulia per day from Colombia to help alleviate the shortage of fuel in western Venezuela.
