Liontown Resources is pleased to announce the successful commencement of underground production stoping at Kathleen Valley Lithium Operation’s Mt Mann orebody, with the first blast fired on schedule. This marks a key milestone in the transition from open pit to underground operations over FY26.

As Australia’s first underground lithium mine, it is expected to offer distinct advantages over traditional open-pit operations, through cleaner ore extraction by reducing dilution and waste contamination, supporting higher lithia recoveries and improved fragmentation for optimised throughput.

During March, trials confirmed the treatability of the underground ore (utilising previously extracted development ore), with a head grade of ~1.5% Li2O and recoveries exceeding 70%, with further optimisation through recovery improvement projects still to come.

The focus remains firmly on continued mine development to advance the decline and open additional working areas and ramp up underground operations progressively, with the mill expected to be supplied solely by underground volumes (and stockpiles) by Q4 FY26. As highlighted in the November 2024 business update, the key focus of underground operations, in the short to medium term, is to safely target high-margin ore and maximise value. A key component of this transition is the strategic stockpile build, supporting both operational and financial objectives.