With more than 15,000 mining and processing facilities worldwide, producing 47 different primary commodities, the global mining sector resembles a giant industrial Christmas tree.
As the industry winds down for the year and the holiday season settles in, Mining.com.au is unwrapping a 12-day feature series exploring the forces shaping the sector.
Much like the classic carol, each day builds on the last. And on the sixth day of Christmas, the focus turns to mines restarting or transitioning into production – the projects switching the lights back on and bringing assets back to life.
According to the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), mining and processing facilities are present in more than 150 countries, meaning at least 75% of national economies have at least some connection to large-scale mining or the processing of metals or mined materials.
However, the decorations aren’t evenly spread. Australia, China, and the US account for 45% of all facilities in the ICMM dataset – three dominant baubles on a very decorative tree.
Australia’s precious gifts
At home, several Australian companies are stuffing production stockings, such as Rox Resources (ASX:RXL) is seeking to develop its Youanmi Gold Project in Western Australia, following a $200 million placement.
The funds will be used for processing plant and equipment on an engineering procurement contract basis, site infrastructure including a 350-room camp and wastewater treatment facilities, upgrading site roads and all necessary surface dewatering infrastructure.
Youanmi has a production target of 817,000 ounces of gold doré over the life-of-mine, averaging 117,000 ounces over an initial seven year processing period.
The Youanmi Project resource of 12.1 million tonnes @ 5.6 grams per tonne for 2.17 million ounces of gold can be categorised into open pit portion of 1.2 million tonnes @ 1.7g/t for 700,000 ounces of gold and the underground portion of 10.9 million tonnes @ 6g/t for 2.1 million ounces of gold.
Savannah Goldfields (ASX:SVG) is another company that has hit the ground running with gold production at the end of 2025, via its Georgetown Gold Processing Plant in Far North Queensland.
As previously reported, 9,500 tonnes of mill feed material has been transported to the processing plant. At the Big Reef deposit, open pit mining operations began in November. Savannah Goldfields intends to mine 18,000 tonnes of the Big Reef inferred resource to process at Georgetown this year. Mining and processing of ore at Agate Creek is planned to begin in Q2 2026.
Savannah Goldfields is continuing discussions with multiple parties in the Georgetown area who are currently undertaking small-scale mining producing gold, with potential to scale up their operations and have interest in potentially toll treating their material at Georgetown.
Manuka Resources (ASX:MKR) has released a 10-year production plan across its silver and gold assets in the Cobar Basin of New South Wales, with a restart plan for the Wonawinta processing plant on track.
Wonawinta hosts over 50 million ounces of silver resources and 11.2 million ounces silver.
According to the Minerals Council of Australia, gold is set to become the nation’s second-largest export earner. Australia’s gold export earnings rose 42% to $47 billion in 2024-25 and are forecast to grow a further 28% to $60 billion in 2025-26, before stabilising in 2026-27.
On the fifth day of Christmas, Mining.com.au reported that gold had surged more than 60% in mid-October.
Throughout 2025, gold has proved it is still the industry’s most reliable festive fixture – reaching all-time highs more than 40 times and surpassing the symbolic US$4,000 per ounce mark in October 2025.
Even silver has a long festival legacy in Australia. The nation’s first mine development was a silver-lead mine near Adelaide, according to Geoscience Australia.
Australia has the largest share of the world’s economic silver resources, outstripping Mexico, Canada and the US, as a result of the discovery and development of the Mount Isa, Hilton-George Fisher, Cannington and McArthur River lead-zinc-silver deposits.
About 25% of Australia’s mine output is refined to silver metal and mainly sent to Japan. Most of the remainder is exported in lead bullion to the UK where it is extracted and refined.
An American antimony Christmas
On the other side of the world, the restart theme continues as Locksley Resources (ASX:LKY) is transitioning towards pilot-scale production in the US.
This news comes amid Kerrie Matthews being appointed as the CEO at the end of October 2025.
Chairman Patrick Burke says Matthews has delivered “tangible” milestones that de-risk the company’s US antimony strategy ahead of commercial engagement.
“Elevating her to Managing Director aligns our leadership structure with the clear near-term priorities of pilot-scale development, securing government programs, and achieving offtake readiness,” Burke says.
Locksley poured the first US-made antimony ingot in decades. Ore from California then smelted in Colorado which then produced one dull, heavy bar that quietly says more about industrial sovereignty than most things that have come out of the US recently, as previously reported.
Locksley’s Mojave Project sits out in California’s desert hills, where the Desert Antimony Mine last operated in 1937. The workings were shallow, the ore coarse-grained stibnite. Then the world moved on, chasing cheaper feed overseas and most western countries have.
US antimony domestic supply is basically non-existent, smelting capacity is constrained globally, even for companies like United States Antimony Corporation (NYSE:UAMY) that have limited output and depend on securing both raw supply and energy inputs.
Presently, about 90% of global antimony production is controlled by China, Russia, and Tajikistan, which is creating significant supply risks for Western nations such as Australia, Canada, and the US.
The North Pole
Further north in Canada, LaFleur Minerals (CSE:LFLR) is preparing to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment for the purpose of restarting production at the Beacon Gold Mill in Canada.
The Beacon Gold Mill has recently been modernised and upgraded to a 750 tonne-per-day facility equipped with crushing, grinding, flotation, regrind, leaching, and Merrill-Crowe circuits. The mill has been in care and maintenance since March 2023.
Recommissioning activities will focus on upgrades and repairs to the filter presses, tailings pump box, leach tanks, pumps, motors, air systems, monitoring instruments, along with the installation of a gravity concentrator circuit.
LaFleur has estimated between 10,000 and 20,000 tonnes of mineralised stockpiles remaining on site, however, the exact number will be confirmed as the mill restart program advances.
Gold is Canada’s most valuable mined commodity, with a production value of C$15.1 billion in 2023, according to the Government of Canada. Gold is mined in ten Canadian provinces and territories, mostly in Ontario and Québec, which together accounts for 70% of the nation’s total output in 2023.
In 2023, Canada is ranked as the fourth-largest gold producer globally, with its mines yielding nearly 200 tonnes of gold.
A South American stocking
Down the Colombian chimney, Soma Gold (TSX-V:SOMA) has resumed production at the Cordero Mine and the El Bagre Gold Complex in mid-November 2025.
This news comes after the company stopped work for 57 days as a result of a strike by unionised employees. Due to the strike, gold production for 2025 is expected to be reduced by 5,000 ounces. The company says this shortfall will impact Q3 and Q4 revenue and profit.
In 2022, Cordero’s production rate was 84,000 tonnes and ramped up to a peak mining production rate of 248,000 tonnes in 2024.
Cordero has a three-year mine life ending next year. However, Soma says it is anticipated that a current drilling program will add new resources to materially extend its mine life.
In addition, Soma expects the El Limon Mill is expected to be in full operation by December. The company expects to achieve full production of 200 tonnes per day by Q1 2026, as previously reported.
From Australia to the US, Canada and Colombia, miners across the world are switching assets back on and reviving processing plants. On the sixth day of Christmas, it’s not just partridges in pear trees or two turtle doves.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au, Soma Gold, Manuka Resources, LaFleur Minerals, Locksley Resources & Rox Resources
