QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's popular assembly on Friday ordered to suspend all mining activity in large-scale exploration projects and revoke hundreds of concessions to increase government control over the nascent sector.

The decree, approved by the government-controlled, assembly will suspend all activity until a new mining law is approved to boost the state share of future mining revenues. The decree says the law has to be approved within six months.

The order also limits the mining holdings to three concessions for a company, and called for revoking all their remaining concessions without compensation.

(Reporting by Alonso Soto; editing by John Picinich)