Copper is man's oldest metal, dating back more than 10,000 years. It conducts electricity better than any other metal except silver, and is used in the construction of virtually all residential and commercial buildings in the US. It's also a critical component in the manufacturing of everything from computers to jet planes to locomotives. But like most of Earth's most high-value resources, there is a finite supply of copper - a supply that could be exhausted by 2070, according to a 2007 report by New Scientist.

And that's where EverClear comes in. The AIC Labs technology venture has developed patented electrochemical processes for recovering copper and other precious metals, thus extending the world's supply of these metals - while creating significant profits.

Tested in an initial pilot program at Berkeley Pit in Butte, Montana, and now planned in pilot production in Tsumeb, Namibia, EverClear's ReSource technology platform extracts metals from very low concentrations in both water and soil.
The process is regenerable, essentially recycling the sequestering agents used to extract the metal so that it becomes efficient and economical.

In addition to generating revenue from reclaimed metals, the technology can be used as a means to potentially improve the toxicity of either water or soil.

"Until now, it simply hasn't been economical to recover these stranded metals," explains AIC Labs' chief technology officer Robert Clarke. But copper prices have risen more than 500 percent since 1999, driving demand for such secondary recovery technology.

Through an agreement with Weatherly, a London-based mining company, EverClear expects to recover up to $1 billion in copper, zinc, and lead from Weatherly's Namibian mine tailings. The project expects to move into full product commercialization over the next 18 months. •••

For more info please visit the EverClear website

Sources
"Earth’s Natural Wealth: An Audit," David Cohen, NewScientist.com (registration required), May 23, 2007.

Analyzing the US Copper Industry, Aruvian Research, August 2007. 

Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2007.