Aramco Accuses Newport Man of Data Theft

Arabian American Oil Co. of Saudi Arabia has filed a lawsuit alleging that a former employee, who now lives in Newport Beach, stole confidential oil field information crucial to U.S. security, then tried to sell it back to the Saudi government.

The lawsuit accuses Robert B. Auburn, who moved to Newport Beach after retiring from Aramco and leaving Saudi Arabia last year, of taking with him 17 computer floppy disks containing information about Saudi oil properties.

According to the suit, filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, the information detailed the precise location and other statistical information involving 54 Aramco oil and gas fields, more than 1,200 offshore oil wells and more than 70 deep gas wells.

Offshore Software Services

Acting through his attorney, Robert N. Cleaves, Auburn sent a letter and a demonstration disk to the Saudi Arabian oil minister in May, offering to sell the information through his own company, Offshore Software Services, court documents show.

The letter stated that Auburn had turned down a “lucrative” offer from a representative of Iran to buy the information.

The oil company alleges in the suit that the release of this information to competing countries such as Iran would have a serious impact on Aramco’s commercial operations and the world crude oil market.

Aramco attorney C. Randolph Fishburn said Tuesday that Auburn has agreed to return the data base and that the case should be resolved within 10 days. Fishburn said a court order is needed to enforce the agreement.

“We filed the lawsuit so that he couldn’t come back later and try to sell the information again,” Fishburn said.

Auburn, a former drilling engineer who worked for the company in Saudi Arabia, took early retirement in August, 1987, after 10 years of service, the suit said.

Neither Auburn nor his attorney could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Founded in 1933

Texaco, Exxon, Mobil and Chevron are operating partners with Saudi Arabia in Aramco. The company was founded in 1933 and is primarily involved in the exploration, production and sale of crude oil and petroleum products in that Persian Gulf country.

In 1980, the Saudi government acquired all of Aramco’s oil producing assets, including the original concessions and the physical plants and production facilities.

Aramco continues to hold legal title to these assets, but in trust. The holdings are operated for the benefit of the Saudi government.