Mine profile
La Paz: location, owner, status and timeline (2026)
Exploration Arizona
La Paz, in La Paz County, Arizona about 170 km northwest of Phoenix, is a low-grade, allanite-hosted rare earth project that American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR) owns 100%. A 2021 estimate shows 170.6 Mt at 391 ppm total rare earth elements, and in 2026 the company is reviewing the property for gold, silver, copper and manganese as well.
Verified through Oct 1, 2026
Status and timeline Report a correction All US rare earth mines
Where is La Paz?
La Paz is in La Paz County in western Arizona, about 170 km northwest of Phoenix, on a land package of about 2,779 hectares. It is not the city of La Paz in Bolivia or in Baja California Sur.
The property combines unpatented federal lode claims with a state mineral lease. The wider district has a history of copper and other metals, including copper exploration and mining in the northern part of the project area in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Who owns La Paz?
American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR; OTCQX: ARRNF) owns 100% of the La Paz project, according to its own releases. The Australian company runs its US operations through a Wyoming subsidiary and treats La Paz as secondary to its Halleck Creek project in Wyoming.
The company calls La Paz one of several assets that give it optionality across rare earths and critical minerals in US jurisdictions. Its other holdings are Halleck Creek and Beaver Creek in Wyoming and a Searchlight heavy rare earths project in southern Nevada. See American Rare Earths: what it does, projects, funding and status.
What is the status and timeline of La Paz?
La Paz is in "Exploration": it has a 2021 inferred and indicated resource but no economic study, and in Mar 2026 the company hired a US consultancy to review it for gold, silver, copper and manganese. The review continues through 2026 and no mine schedule exists.
- Aug 2021
- Mar 24, 2026
The company engages a US exploration consultancy to review historic data and metals potential.
- Jun 18, 2026
An exploration update says the La Paz review continues through 2026.
Next milestones
- Late 2026
Possible mapping, geochemical sampling and selective geophysics on priority targets.
How much rare earth is at La Paz?
La Paz holds a JORC 2012 resource of 170.6 Mt at an average grade of 391 ppm total rare earth elements, or about 0.04%, with 35.2 Mt indicated and 135.4 Mt inferred. The grade is the lowest of the larger US projects, so scale and by-products matter.
A grade of 0.04% means one tonne of rock holds about 400 g of rare earths, compared with about 6% at Mountain Pass. The company has described an exploration target of 742 to 928 Mt of additional mineralized rock, but that is a target and not a resource.
Company assays say La Paz has low thorium and uranium compared with most rare earth projects, which would ease radioactive-materials handling if it ever advanced.
| Item | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Total resource | 170.6 Mt at 391 ppm TREE | Up from 128.2 Mt at 371.7 ppm |
| Indicated | 35.2 Mt | Up from 16.2 Mt |
| Inferred | 135.4 Mt | Up from 112 Mt |
| Scandium oxide in the resource | About 4.4 Mkg | Company-reported |
| Magnetic rare earths | About 27% of TREO | Company-reported |
| Contained TREE | About 67,000 t | This directory: tonnage times grade |
The 2021 estimate predates ARR's 2026 review and uses an older reporting date. Rare earth contained in the rock is not recoverable product, and no processing or economic study has been published.
What is American Rare Earths doing at La Paz in 2026?
American Rare Earths is running a comprehensive property assessment at La Paz in 2026, with a consultancy reinterpreting geological maps, re-logging core and chips and reviewing geochemical and geophysical data. The company says it will rank targets for gold, silver, copper, manganese and other critical minerals.
The company announced the consultancy engagement on Mar 24, 2026 and said in June 2026 that the review would continue through the year, with possible mapping, sampling and selective geophysics on priority targets.
The pivot reflects how the company allocates capital. Its June 2026 update centered the field season on Halleck Creek, where it started a drilling program of up to 3,050 m in 19 holes on May 13, 2026.
What permits does La Paz need?
La Paz needs exploration notices and permits from federal and Arizona state land managers for any drilling, and no permit or community dispute is reported in the sources checked. Mining would require a plan of operations and state approvals.
The claims are on federal land and a state lease, so both the Bureau of Land Management and the Arizona State Land Department would be involved. The sources checked give no application date.
What government support has La Paz received?
La Paz has received no grant or loan in the sources checked. American Rare Earths says it collaborates with US Government-supported research programs on extraction and processing technology, but none is tied to La Paz.
No federal support is recorded for La Paz in the sources checked.
See the government support tracker for projects that do have awards.
Questions about La Paz
Where is the La Paz rare earth project?
La Paz is in La Paz County, western Arizona, about 170 km northwest of Phoenix. It covers about 2,779 hectares of federal claims and a state mineral lease.
Who owns La Paz?
American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR; OTCQX: ARRNF) owns 100% of La Paz. The same company is developing Halleck Creek in Wyoming.
How much rare earth is at La Paz?
A 2021 JORC resource shows 170.6 Mt at 391 ppm total rare earth elements, about 0.04%. Of that, 35.2 Mt is indicated and 135.4 Mt inferred, and the resource includes about 4.4 Mkg of scandium oxide.
Is La Paz a producing mine?
No. La Paz is an exploration project with no economic study, permit or schedule. In 2026 the company is reviewing historic data and the property's potential for gold, silver, copper and manganese.
Why is La Paz low grade?
The allanite-bearing veins are dispersed through a very large volume of rock, so the average is only about 391 ppm. The project's case rests on tonnage, by-product scandium and low thorium and uranium, and none of it has been tested economically.
Sources and verification
Each profile lists its sources, a confidence grade and a verification date. Order of authority: official records (SEC filings, agency documents), company documents and technical reports, research papers, then independent press. Syndicated copies and reference works are labeled and are never the only source for a number. Company-reported figures are labeled as such, and non-binding deals are labeled "letter of intent" or "conditional".
- OSTI review, Minerals Engineering 249 (Kashyap et al., 2026) Research paper
- American Rare Earths: exploration update and 2026 to 2027 field programs (Jun 18, 2026) Syndicated copy
- Stockhead: La Paz resource upgraded (Aug 2021 JORC estimate) Independent press
- Mining.com: assay results at La Paz Independent press
- American Rare Earths: company site Company document
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