The Edinburgh-based energy consultancy is reported to have appointed bankers to advise on an excercise that could result in a dramatic increase in the paper worth of the holdings of shareholders.

The company is said to be targeting a valuation of up to 2bn.

Companies House records show Wood Mackenzie's chief executive Stephen Halliday and fellow board members Paul Gregory and Brain Aird have significant holdings, which would be worth millions of pounds if the plans go ahead.

Directors and staff ranging from office workers to analysts are thought to own around 24 per cent of the shares in Wood Mackenzie, putting them in line to share handsomely again in its success.

Wood Mackenzie was bought by an American private equity firm, Hellman & Friedman in 2012. The deal valued Wood Mackenzie at 1.1bn and paved the way for payouts to employee shareholders averaging 250,000.

Around 340 employee shareholders shared in a 90m dividend Wood Mack paid out after Hellman & Friedman took control. They kept half their existing holdings in the company.

The company had 270 employees in Scotland and 800 in total at the time.

The flotation plans are reportedly being developed after Wood Mackenzie received takeover bids from big US corporations valuing the company at around 1.5bn.

Information specialists McGraw Hill and Verisk Analytics are said to have made bids for the firm recently.

Bid interest in Wood Mackenzie would reflect the value of the massive knowledge banks that Wood Mackenzie has developed and the company's prestige client lists.

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Edinburgh energy consultancy eyes 2bn stock market flotation