Brazil’s president confirms Petrobras data theft related to big petroleum finds

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) – Information stolen from Brazil’s state-run oil company was related to two huge new offshore petroleum finds, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said.

In comments to reporters during a trip to Brazil’s Antarctic research station, Silva characterized last month’s theft of four laptops and two hard drives as ‘’serious” because it involved state secrets. He said that the Brazilian Intelligence Agency was assisting federal police in their investigation.


But Silva said it is too soon to determine whether the information was stolen by a group planning to pass information about the Tupi and Jupiter petroleum fields to foreign companies or governments.

”The software contained information that was a state secret,” he said in remarks released late Sunday by the presidential press office. ”This is a serious thing that we are investigating.”

Petroleo Brasileiro SA has refused to give details about the missing data except to say it was ”confidential information” stolen from ”equipment and materials that contain important information for the company.”

But Petrobras told authorities the information affects Brazil’s national interests, police said.

AP