Oil giants Royal Dutch/Shell and BP are considering opportunities to conduct research on two of Iraq's biggest oilfields.
Shell spokesman
The Iraq government earlier put out tenders for studies on the Kirkuk and Rumaila fields. A deadline on those tenders is due on August 15th.
"We have obtained the tender documents and are currently evaluating both opportunities," said a Shell spokesman in London.
A BP spokesman also said that BP was considering a bid for a technical reservoir management analysis project in Iraq.
Violence in Iraq has left many oil majors wary of doing business there.
A BP spokesman said that BP's study would not require any of its staff to be present in Iraq. Shell would also be able to carry out its research on the Iraq fields without having to send someone there, added an industry source.
Last month, Shell turned down the chance to win the first foreign upstream oil production contract in Iraq, as it felt the terms on offer were not good enough.