Oct 7 (Reuters) - Oil major Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) is

considering re-entering Iraq after a nearly two-year hiatus by

signing agreements that would lay the groundwork to explore the

country's giant Majnoon field, Bloomberg News reported, citing

people familiar with the matter.

Majnoon, located 60 km (37 miles) from Basra in southern

Iraq, is one of the richest oil fields in the world with an

estimated 38 billion barrels in place.

Exxon plans to sign a heads of agreement with Basra Oil and

Iraq's state oil company SOMO in the coming days, the report

said on Tuesday.

"Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) is in discussions with the Iraqi oil ministry

as we routinely look at opportunities to optimize our advantaged

portfolio," an ExxonMobil ( XOM ) spokesperson told Reuters.

Basra, SOMO, and the Iraqi Embassy in Washington D.C. did

not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The potential deal is also expected to include discussions

regarding export infrastructure and possible oil marketing

projects in southern Iraq, the report said.

Iraqi state news agency INA last month reported that SOMO

was in advanced talks with Exxon over a possible agreement to

secure storage capacity in Singapore using tanks owned by the

U.S. oil major.

In the past two years, Iraq has signed agreements with

several oil firms that had previously retreated from the

country, including Chevron ( CVX ), France's TotalEnergies

and UK oil major BP.