Abstract

Unleashing the POWER of GIS at Chevron Questa Mine
Track: Mining and Geosciences
Authors: Jeff Schoenbacher

The Chevron Questa Mine site, located in northeastern New Mexico includes an operational, underground mine, mill and tailing disposal facility. Because of legacy impacts there remain waste rock piles and more than 100 million tons of tailings that have the potential of impacting soil, ground water and surface water.

As a result, the mine has five prescriptive Clean Water Act water quality permits that have over a 180 compliance benchmarks that are monitored and reported to the state and federal regulatory stakeholders. This presentation will provide insight into how GIS has been unleashed at the Questa Mine, to assist in managing the environmental impacts as well as the numerous regulatory obligations. The GIS initiative started in 2011 and has been successful in numerous internal and external stakeholders becoming more familiar with the "Power" of GIS as well as the value throughout the business unit.