The government of Curacao has suspended its selection of a new operator for the Caribbean nation’s 335,000-barrel-per-day Isla refinery until a probe into corruption allegations involving the search has concluded, officials said on Friday. Isla refinery, which has operated under a contract with Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA that lasts through December, began a search for a PDVSA replacement after a dispute last year between the Venezuelan firm and U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips left the plant idled amid asset seizure attempts. A memorandum of understanding with PDVSA’s replacement was expected to be signed and disclosed in mid January, a refinery executive said last month. Negotiations to choose a new operator, however, “are still in status quo pending the finalization of the internal investigation at Refineria […]