1. Bougainville Copper (ASX:BOC)Company ProfileYear-to-date...

1. Bougainville Copper (ASX:BOC)Company ProfileYear-to-date gain: 78.57 percent; market cap: AU$240.64 million; current share price: AU$0.625Bougainville Copper is working to reopen the past-producing Panguna copper complex, which ceased operations in 1989. Panguna is considered one of the largest copper deposits in the world, and according to the company, its successful restart is viewed as a critical component of future economic independence for Bougainville, which is an autonomous region in Papua New Guinea. The country's government holds a 36.5 percent share in the company.In early February, after much deliberation, Bougainville Copper was granted a five year extension to its Panguna mining licence, which will open the door for advanced-stage prefeasibility and feasibility exploration activities. The news sent shares of the company spiking to their best year-to-date close of 2024: AU$0.80 on February 2. That's more than double Bougainville Copper's close of AU$0.35 the previous day.