SBM Offshore, Brazil Comptroller Agree to Seek Leniency Deal
SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) - Brazil's comptroller general and Dutch oil platform leasing firm SBM Offshore NV said on Tuesday they had agreed on a framework for what could be the first leniency deal in a bribery scandal linked to Brazil's state-run oil firm Petrobras.
Local engineering companies caught up in the investigation at Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) are also seeking deals with the comptroller, or CGU, to minimize economic fallout from the corruption investigation in exchange for cooperating with investigators.
Prosecutors investigating the country's largest kickback scheme ever are trying to block the deals, however, on the grounds they would obstruct the probe.
SBM said in a statement on Tuesday the agreement sets a framework "for discussions on a potentially mutually acceptable settlement and for the disclosure by SBM Offshore of information relevant to the CGU's investigations."
Petrobras said in May it would not seek bids from SBM while the ship leaser was under investigation in Brazil.
The oil company later stopped contracting local engineering firms whose executives are accused of forming a cartel to skim money off of Petrobras contracts, allegedly enriching themselves and politicians.
SBM is the world's largest producer of oil production ships known as FPSOs and Petrobras owns or leases the world's largest fleet of oil-production ships. A leniency agreement could enable Petrobras to do business with the Dutch firm again.
SBM settled a bribery case with Dutch prosecutors in November, but the CGU continued to investigate its activities in Brazil.
Former Petrobras manager Pedro Barusco said in plea bargain testimony seen by Reuters earlier this year that he had received bribes from an SBM point person between 1995 and 2003.
(Reporting by Roberto Samora and Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Diane Craft)
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Weatherford CEO's Rebound Plan Relies On Getting Smaller
- Iran Says Oil Market Is Too Tight For US Zero Exports Target
- China's Squeezed 'Teapots' Eye Petchem Path To Riches
- Baker Hughes: US Drillers Add Oil Rigs For Second Week In Three
- Venezuela Hands China More Oil Presence, But No Mention Of New Funds
- Falcon Oil Declares Commercial Flow Test Results for Shenandoah Well
- Macquarie Strategists Expect Brent Oil Price to Grind Higher
- Japan Failing to Meet Corporate Demand for Clean Power: Amazon
- Pennsylvania County Joins List of Local Govts Suing Big Oil over Climate
- UK Oil Regulator Publishes New Emissions Reduction Plan
- PetroChina Posts Higher Annual Profit on Higher Production
- US, SKorea Launch Task Force to Stop Illicit Refined Oil Flows into NKorea
- McDermott Settles Reficar Dispute
- Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
- USA Commercial Crude Oil Inventories Increase
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Oil Demand Outpaces Expectations, Testing Calculus on Peak Crude
- House Passes Protecting American Energy Production Act
- TotalEnergies Restarts Production in Denmark's Biggest Gas Field
- USA Oil and Gas Job Figures Jump
- Republican Lawmakers Say IEA Has Abandoned Energy Security Mission
- Blockchain Demands Attention in Oil and Gas
- Houthis Warn Saudi Arabia of Retaliation If It Backs USA Attacks
- Macquarie Sees USA Oil Production Exiting 2024 at 14MM Barrels Per Day
- Summer Pump Prices Set to Hit $4 a Gallon Just as Americans Hit the Road
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Another Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension