Liontown (ASX:LTR) has completed the open pit mining at its Kathleen Valley Lithium Operation, delivered on schedule and marking the transition to a fully underground mining operation.
The final truckload of ore has departed the Kathleen's Corner pit, concluding three years of open pit production.
The open pit phase was critical in establishing the operation's foundations, providing waste rock for construction of the run-of-mine pad and tailings storage facility, as well as early ore feed for commissioning and ramp-up of the process plant.
Production over the past two quarters exceeded targets, creating strategic stockpiles of clean ore and ore sorting material that will supplement underground feed through early FY27, enhancing operational flexibility and ensuring consistent mill throughput.
Underground operations are ramping up according to plan, delivering clean, high-margin ore with infrastructure systems performing reliably.
Mining was conducted within a small footprint and in close collaboration with the Tjiwarl people, respecting culturally significant areas.
Liontown's CEO, Tony Ottaviano, highlighted that the successful open pit completion and the creation of strategic stockpiles underpin the company's confidence in the next phase of growth as Australia's first large-scale underground lithium mine, while acknowledging the strong performance of mining contractor Iron Mine Contracting throughout the open pit program.