Transocean widens Nigeria bribery probe - filing

HOUSTON Aug 14 (Reuters) - Transocean Inc (RIG.N), the world's largest offshore oil and gas driller said on Tuesday it had widened an internal probe to determine whether one of its customs agents in Nigeria had violated U.S. bribery laws, according to a filing with U.S. regulators.

"The previously disclosed internal investigation of the use of Panalpina Inc and other customs brokers by Transocean Inc in Nigeria has now been expanded to include one of the Company's agents for Nigeria," the Houston-based company said in a filing regulatory filing.

In its quarterly filing on August 1, Transocean said its lawyers met with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on July 25 regarding its use Panalpina for freight forwarding and other services in the United States and abroad.

DOJ told Transocean it is conducting an investigation of alleged U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations by oil service companies that used Panalpina Inc and other brokers in Nigeria and other parts of the world, the filing said.

Under that law, bribery by U.S. companies to win business in foreign countries is illegal.

A spokesman for Transocean, which said in July it would merge with rival GlobalSantaFe Corp (GSF.N) in an $18 billion deal, would not provide additional comment beyond the filing.

A spokesman for Swiss-based logistics firm Panalpina could not be reached for comment.

Transocean said its probe will be conducted by outside counsel who will report directly to its board of directors audit committee and will focus on whether the customs brokers and agent have fully complied with the terms of their respective agreements and the FCPA.

Other companies conducting similar probes include GlobalSantaFe, Noble Corp (NE.N), Tidewater Inc (TDW.N).

"While these investigations will be a headache, they don't change our favorable opinion on the deepwater drillers," Tudor Pickering & Co Securities Inc said in a note to clients.

Shares of Transocean closed down $1.44, or 1.4 percent, at $99.69 on the New York Stock Exchange.