▁during ▁the ▁year . ▁Per th - based ▁M urch ison ▁un ited ▁n L ▁was ▁granted ▁five ▁u ran ium ▁expl oration ▁lic enses ▁covering ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ 6 , 7 6 6 ▁square ▁kilom eters ▁( km 2 ) ▁in ▁Bin ▁en ▁nar ▁and ▁in ▁Bir ▁M og hre in ▁and ▁was ▁await ing ▁appro val ▁of ▁three ▁other ▁u ran ium ▁expl oration ▁lic enses ▁by ▁the ▁government . ▁the ▁company ▁conducted ▁ground ▁reconna issance ▁work ▁to ▁perform ▁detailed ▁radi ometric ▁studies ▁on ▁five ▁anom al ies . ▁ ▁The ▁results ▁of ▁these ▁studies ▁were ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁analyz ed ▁as ▁of ▁year ▁end . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁Al ba ▁Min eral ▁Resources ▁pl c ▁( Al ba ) ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁acquired ▁a ▁ 5 0 % ▁interest ▁in ▁Maur it ania ▁vent ures ▁Limited ▁( M v L ). ▁ ▁M v L ▁held ▁two ▁u ran ium ▁expl oration ▁lic enses ▁in ▁northern ▁Maur it ania . ▁ ▁Al ba ▁applied ▁for ▁a ▁third ▁expl oration ▁license ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁for ▁gold ▁and ▁base - met al ▁expl oration ▁lic enses ▁covering ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁about ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁km 2 ▁located ▁near ▁the ▁u ran ium ▁expl oration ▁properties . ▁ ▁Al ba ▁also ▁applied ▁for ▁an ▁additional ▁five ▁co pper - g old - ir on ▁ox ide ▁perm its ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁the