July 12 (Reuters) - Chip and software company Broadcom Inc (AVGO.O) is in talks to buy SAS Institute Inc in a deal that could value the software firm in the range of $15 billion to $20 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The acquisition could be finalized in the coming weeks, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. (https://bit.ly/3xDQHKE) Broadcom and SAS did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The acquisition would help Apple Inc (AAPL.O) supplier Broadcom expand its infrastructure software solutions business. North Carolina-based SAS provides data and analytics solutions to customers in 147 countries spread across several industries, including banking, healthcare, retail and manufacturing. The company"s software is used by more than 83,000 business, government and university sites, according to its website. Broadcom shares were 1.4% higher in volatile trading, having declined as much as 1.4% to $473.26 after the report.