Factbox: Foreign companies named in Brazil's "Car Wash" probe

Transocean

27/05/2016 17:11

May 27 (Reuters) - Brazilian police said this week they were 
investigating local units of three international steelmakers in 
a massive corruption investigation involving the country's 
state-run oil company, Petroleo Brasileiro SA  PETR4.SA , or 
Petrobras.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N18L08P 
    Prosecutors have identified at least 285 foreign companies 
that have done business with people who are under investigation, 
though they say that does not mean all the firms are suspected 
of graft. Brazilian investigators are working closely with U.S. 
and other international authorities.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N13D2ST 
    Below are foreign companies that have appeared in Brazil's 
largest-ever corruption case named "Operation Car Wash" for a 
Brasilia gas station where some of the alleged money laundering 
took place. For more than two years the investigation has 
ensnared the country's largest construction companies and 
high-profile politicians. 
    Petrobras wrote off $2.1 billion in graft losses, though 
federal police and prosecutors believe the amount siphoned from 
the company for more than a decade could be much higher. 
     
United States Steel: Prosecutors on Tuesday said Apolo Tubulars, 
which is 50 percent owned by United States Steel  X.N , 
allegedly paid bribes to win pipe contracts with Petrobras 
between 2009 and 2012. U.S. Steel said it is reviewing the 
matter and is in contact with Apolo Tubulars. Apolo Tubulars 
said it was cooperating with authorities. 
     
Tenaris SA: Luxembourg-based Tenaris' Brazilian unit Confab was 
also accused of paying kickbacks to obtain contracts with 
Petrobras. Tenaris  TENR.MI  is part of Italian-Argentine steel 
group Techint. Tenaris officials did not immediately respond to 
requests for comment, but Confab said it has no evidence its 
employees paid bribes and is cooperating with authorities.      
     
Vallourec SA: Police said on Tuesday they had no proof of 
corruption at French pipe maker Vallourec SA  VLLP.PA  but were 
continuing their investigation of the company's Brazilian unit, 
V&M. V&M said it was facing no charges and had been guided by 
legal standards throughout 60 years of business with Petrobras. 
     
Keppel Corp Ltd: Prosecutors charged a former lobbyist for 
Keppel Fels, the local unit of Singapore oil rig builder Keppel 
Corp Ltd  KPLM.SI , with corruption in April but said they did 
not have enough evidence to prosecute any Keppel employees. 
Keppel said it put its relationship with the lobbyist on hold 
and has a zero-tolerance stance against any form of illegal 
activity. Prosecutors said political strategist Joao Santana 
received bribes in contracts involving Petrobras, shipbuilder 
Sete Brasil and Keppel Fels.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N17V1WH  
     
Ensco Plc: Petrobras ended a drillship contract with rig 
contractor Ensco Plc  ESV.N  in January because of corruption 
allegations. Petrobras chartered the DS-5 drillship in 2008, 
when it was owned by Pride International, a company Ensco bought 
in 2011. Prosecutors have said they planned to present charges 
related to the DS-5 charter. Ensco, which is headquartered in 
London, says it has found no evidence that Pride, the company, 
or any current or former employees were aware of or involved in 
wrongdoing.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N14Q4A5 
 
Astra Oil: The unit of Belgian-controlled Astra Transcor Energy 
allegedly paid $15 million in bribes to encourage Petrobras to 
buy part of Astra's Texas-based Pasadena Refining Systems Inc 
for $1.2 billion in 2006, prosecutors said in November. Astra 
has not responded to request for comment.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N13B0HV 
     
Transocean Ltd: A former Petrobras executive said in plea- 
bargain testimony made public in September that he was offered  
payments in 2007 in exchange for Switzerland-based Transocean 
Ltd  RIGN.BN  winning a drillship contract. Transocean said it 
requires employees and everyone making visits on its behalf to 
adhere to high standards for integrity.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N11U2VF  
 
Vantage Drilling: Prosecutors said in August that a lobbyist for 
U.S.-based Vantage Drilling  VTGOF.UL  arranged bribes for 
former Petrobras executives at the Four Seasons Hotel in New 
York in exchange for awarding Vantage Drilling a 2009 drillship 
contract. Vantage executives have not been charged and the 
company says it fully met the terms of the drillship contract 
and has found no evidence of improper activity.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N10H425 
 
Saipem SpA: Prosecutors in July 2015 said they are investigating 
whether a former Petrobras executive accepted bribes in exchange 
for favoring Italy's Saipem SpA  SPMI.MI  on a contract for an 
undersea gas pipeline for offshore subsalt fields in Brazil. 
Saipem said at the time it had not yet been notified by 
authorities but planned to cooperate.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N1092L4 
     
Sembcorp Marine Ltd: A former Petrobras executive said in plea 
testimony made public in March 2015 that a representative of 
Sembcorp's Jurong Aracruz shipyard was involved in bribe 
payments. Sembcorp Marine Ltd  SCIL.SI  said it did not make any 
illegal payment.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nWNAS00KQV  
          
Maersk Group: Prosecutors say Denmark's shipping and oil group 
Maersk  MAERSKb.CO  allegedly paid bribes to win Petrobras 
contracts. Maersk said it first met with Brazilian investigators 
in July 2014 and received a request for additional information 
late last year. Maersk has also said it is normal and customary 
to use brokers to promote tanker-operators' services to 
customers around the world and to pay brokers a 1.25 percent 
commission on earnings from charter contracts.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N11815T 
     
Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc  RR.L : The British engineering company 
that makes equipment for offshore oil and gas rigs has said it 
is cooperating with the investigation, though prosecutors say it 
has not signed a formal cooperation deal.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N13D2ST    
     
Skanska AB  SKAb.ST : Swedish builder Skanska's local unit 
Skanska Brasil Ltda is one of some 20 companies being 
investigated by Brazil's anti-trust regulator Cade for forming a 
cartel that fixed prices and overcharged Petrobras for work in 
order to pass on bribes worth 1 percent to 3 percent of 
contracts. Skanska said it has a zero tolerance against 
unethical behavior and takes the suspicions very seriously but 
does not seek any leniency agreement as it denies being part of 
a cartel.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N0Z92CH 
     
SBM Offshore  SBMO.AS : A former Petrobras executive said in 
plea-bargain testimony seen by Reuters that he had received 
bribes from an SBM point person between 1995 and 2003. The 
world's top oil production ship leasing company reached a record 
$240 million settlement in November 2014 with Dutch and U.S. 
authorities relating to corruption charges in Angola, Brazil and 
Equatorial Guinea. The company said in February U.S. authorities 
had re-opened an inquiry into bribery allegations, however. SBM 
is also seeking a leniency deal in Brazil.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N15P540 
 
 (Compiled by Caroline Stauffer in Sao Paulo; Editing by Phil 
Berlowitz) 
 ((caroline.stauffer@tr.com; +55 11 5644 7726, +55 11 98431 
0410; Reuters Messaging: 
caroline.stauffer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: BRAZIL CORRUPTION/PETROBRAS