STRIKES SWEEP BRAZILIAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

A strike in Brazil's upstream and downstream oil and gas operations has hit state owned Petroleos Brasileiro SA. The strike, which began June 14, was expected to continue spreading at presstime last week, with labor forces targeting Brazil's refineries and oil and gas production facilities. Petrobras last week denied reports that strikes had slashed as much as 100,000 b/d of Brazil's oil production or paralyzed some of the nation's biggest refineries. Brazil produces about