Brazilian police say Petrobras theft was corporate espionage

[Mojorabbit]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/19/news/Brazil-Petrobras-Theft.php


Brazilian police say Petrobras theft was corporate espionage
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: The theft of information linked to recent and potentially massive offshore petroleum discoveries was probably corporate espionage, Brazilian police said Tuesday.

Investigators have ruled out common theft in the disappearance of computers and hard drives that belong to state controlled oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, earlier this month, federal police chief Valdinho Jacinto Caetano said.

"Common thieves wouldn't steal hard drives. They wanted specific information," Caetano said at a news conference, noting that other valuable equipment had been left behind.

The stolen drives contained information related to offshore petroleum discoveries known as the Tupi and Jupiter fields, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Sunday. He called the material a "state secret."

The potential size of the petroleum finds is so great, the nation's ambassador to Saudi Arabia has said Brazil would consider joining OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.


In CIA tape inquiry, ex-spymaster in the middle
A laptop computer and the "two or three" stolen hard drives had been in the possession of Houston-based oil services company Halliburton Co. when they were shipped from an offshore rig to Petrobras offices last month.

Caetano said there had been a "flaw in security" during the process, but that it was too early to say who was responsible.

Halliburton referred questions to Petrobras, which has said it has backup copies of the information.

[Doctor Cynic]

1. What's the probability the drives are in Texas?

[phantom power]

2. man, they're doing business with Halliburton?

what the hell could they be thinking?