LUKoil, which was unsuccessful in its bid to win a contract to develop an oil field in Iraq last month, will get help from the Iraqi government as the second round of bids draws near.

“We would like LUKoil to take part in Iraq,” Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the Iraqi government, said Monday. “We welcome Russian companies.”

Iraq’s government will “rethink” what role LUKoil could play in helping to develop its oil industry, battered by decades of neglect and war, al-Dabbagh said. LUKoil lost out in the race to develop the first phase of the West Qurna oil field to Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

Iraq is holding a second round of licenses at the end of this week in which 45 energy companies will compete to develop 10 fields. The Iraqi government wants LUKoil to have a “good chance” of being selected for a contract, al-Dabbagh said, without elaborating.