Pedestrians walk past the Petrobras building in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 21, 2006. Petrobras, short for Petrleo Brasileiro S.A., is a government-owned Brazilian oil company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, and founded in 1953. While the company ceased to be Brazil's oil monopoly in the late 1990s, it remains a significant oil producer, with output of more than 2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, as well as a major distributor of oil products. Since most of Brazil's oil is offshore, Petrobras is renowned for its leadership in development of advanced technology from deepwater and ultra-deep water oil production. Petrobras has expanded the reach of its operations beyond Brazilian borders. Today Petrobras controls oil and power industries assets, as well as related business activities, in 16 nations in Africa, North America, South America and Asia. (Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Pedestrians walk past the Petrobras building in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 21, 2006. Petrobras, short for Petrleo Brasileiro S.A., is a government-owned Brazilian oil company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, and founded in 1953. While the company ceased to be Brazil's oil monopoly in the late 1990s, it remains a significant oil producer, with output of more than 2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, as well as a major distributor of oil products. Since most of Brazil's oil is offshore, Petrobras is renowned for its leadership in development of advanced technology from deepwater and ultra-deep water oil production. Petrobras has expanded the reach of its operations beyond Brazilian borders. Today Petrobras controls oil and power industries assets, as well as related business activities, in 16 nations in Africa, North America, South America and Asia.(Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
Supporters of Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva wave a huge banner during a campaign rally in Belo Horizonte, capital of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2006. In spite of a series of corruption scandals which have stained his images, opinion polls show that Lula should win in the first round of the Oct. 1, 2006 election.(Australfoto/Douglas Engle)
