Mauritania awarded an iron-ore operating license to Sphere Minerals Ltd. for its Askaf project, Agence Mauritanienne d’Information reported, citing a Council of Ministers statement after its weekly meeting in Nouakchott, the capital.

The council also approved amendments to the government’s oil production-sharing contracts with International Petroleum Group and a consortium led by Dana Petroleum Plc, the state- owned agency, known as AMI, said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Oudaa Marouf in Nouakchott at moudaa@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Emily Bowers at ebowers1@bloomberg.net