Wood Mackenzie is rumoured to be the subject of a potential bidding war.
City sources cited by the Mail on Sunday reported that the Edinburgh-based consultancy could be valued at around £2.5bn by private equity firms including the Carlyle Group, CVC and BC Partners.
The possible sale follows a campaign by US activist investor DE Shaw, which has urged the firm's owner Verisk to sell assets and focus more on insurance.
WoodMac was launched as a stockbroker in 1844 and began researching energy markets during the North Sea oil boom in the 1970s.
In 2015, the business was bought by New Jersey-based analytics solutions group Verisk for £1.85bn, as it was preparing for a stock market listing.
The company has been contacted for comment.
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