Bougainville Copper Limited (BCL) operated a large open put mine and processing facility at Panguna on Bougainville Island in the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea from 1971 to 1989. The mine produced concentrate containing copper, gold and silver, which was sold primarily under long term contracts to smelters in Asia and Europe .

The mine was located about 600 metres above sea level in rugged terrain. Equipment and processes used in the production of concentrate followed conventional lines, although the operation was unusual in the very large tonnage of material treated. This was necessary because of the low grade of the deposit. The end product, copper concentrate, was shipped to custom smelters in Europe and Asia .

The mine commenced commercial production in 1972. During its time of operation contributions to the Papua New Guinea government in the form of dividends, taxes and royalties represented approximately 16% of internally generated PNG Government revenue. Further, BCL's presence in the North Solomons Province promoted the development of significant local business enterprises to provide goods and services required for the mining operation and for the Province's residents.

The establishment of the mine provided a substantial impetus to the growth of light industry and food production. Much of this growth was assisted by BCL; indirectly through providing access to the areas of the island which were previously remote and almost inaccessible, and directly through its encouragement of food production and processing industries to meet the needs of the mine workforce.

Apart from the mine, Bougainville Island was predominantly an agriculturally based society. Thus it was in agriculture that the community at large sought economic growth. BCL sponsored agricultural extension officers, working in conjunction with government agencies played an important role in the agricultural development. One example was the breeding of new strains of pigs. Pigs are the traditional form of animal husbandry in village life. Other fields of agricultural development were the introduction of cattle, egg production and broiler chicken farming on a commercial level.

During its production years, BCL was the largest private employer in Papua New Guinea . employing approximately 3,600 persons, of which approximately 80% were Papua New Guinean citizens. Company training programs resulted in considerable progress in the localisation of BCL's employees and added significantly to the number of skilled workers in the country's workforce.

Industrial safety, a prime concern of any responsible company, had a special significance for BCL as many of the workforce had little or no prior exposure to a large scale industrial operation. Thus training programs placed particular emphasis on safe practices and a team of safety officers continually monitored operating procedures. The success of this was proven in a safety record that compared most favourably with similar operations in a more industrial oriented environment.