Brazil says missing laptops have state oilfield secrets

Information stolen from Brazil's state-run oil company was linked 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.

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

But Petrobras told officials the information affects Brazil's national interests, police said.

News of the theft was made public last week, but Silva's comments were the first official affirmation that the data stolen was related to the big petroleum finds.

Police says the four notebooks and two hard drives were in the ownership of Houston-based oil services company Halliburton Co. and were stolen last month while being transported from the coastal city of Santos to Macae in Rio de Janeiro state, where much of Petrobras' offshore investigation effort is centered.

Halliburton referred questions to Petrobras, which refused to comment.