Virtual Reality Reshaping Oil and Gas Workflows

from Jasoren

In the oil and gas industry, where data complexity and operational challenges reign supreme, virtual reality (VR) and immersive visualization technologies are stepping in to provide revolutionary solutions. Jennifer Pallanich’s recent article in the Journal of Petroleum Technology explores how these tools are transforming workflows, collaboration, and training across the sector.

Here’s a closer look at how VR is helping oil and gas companies reimagine their processes, enhance collaboration, and overcome traditional barriers.

Breaking Free from Physical Constraints

Core analysis has always been a cornerstone of subsurface research for oil and gas companies, but physical space limitations and accessibility have posed significant challenges. At YPF Technology’s (Y-TEC) research facility in Buenos Aires, cores are typically laid out physically, requiring vast amounts of space and extended project timelines.

Ariel Guzzetti, lab and data manager at YPF, told Pallanich, “We usually have three, five, seven projects on hold, and not due to the capacity of our lab. Maybe we can do more tests, but we run out of space to lay out the cores.”

This is where VR shines. By digitizing core samples and creating a “miniverse” — a dedicated virtual space for geoscience — Y-TECH enables experts to analyze cores and data remotely. “With this technology, you can mix up the rock and the data together without the restriction of laptops or TV screens. You can display as much information as you want, all in the same area,” Guzzetti explained.

Beyond freeing up physical space, VR reduces the need for costly and time-consuming travel. “We can even coordinate meetings in virtual reality so [consortium members] will not need to come to our lab to see the rocks,” Guzzetti added.

Revolutionizing Collaboration and Decision-Making

Immersive technologies are bridging gaps between teams and disciplines. Robin Dommisse, senior 3D geomodeling advisor at the University of Texas’s Bureau of Economic Geology, explained how VR takes decision-making beyond traditional methods:

“Think of it as a transition from a standard 2D PowerPoint presentation to an interactive, 3D visual collaboration space that integrates all your geological, geophysical, and engineering data and serves as a decision-support environment.”

With VR tools, geologists, engineers, and stakeholders can visualize subsurface data and reservoir simulations in an interactive 3D environment. This integration supports real-time decision-making and enhances collaboration across disciplines.

“You don’t just bring the data together to study it or analyze it,” Dommisse said. “You use it for real-time decision-making in exploration and development scenarios. If you can do that, no matter how much a tool would cost, it would quickly pay for itself.”

Immersive Rooms for a Shared Vision

While VR headsets enable remote collaboration, immersive rooms, like those developed by Igloo Vision, are bringing the collective genius of teams into shared physical spaces. These modernized visualization rooms use 4K projectors and software to create interactive environments for collaboration and storytelling.

Jim Thom, business development advisor for BaselineZ, shared how these spaces are changing the game: “When we drill wells in the energy business, there is a clear separation between geology, geophysics, and the drilling engineering department. Putting the different disciplines together in an immersive room enables them to collaborate more easily because they can see all their data at the same time.”

Engaging Training and Hazard Avoidance

Safety training in the oil and gas industry is another area where VR is proving invaluable. Realistic VR training scenarios simulate hazardous situations, helping workers recognize and respond to risks. John Morgan, senior principal for energy systems at DNV, described the impact of these immersive experiences:

“It literally feels like you’re on the edge of a big process plant, looking 20 to 30 feet over the edge. It allows people to really think they are on that site, which is why it’s so memorable.”

By creating vivid, lifelike scenarios, VR makes hazard avoidance training more engaging and impactful. VR training — especially these rare scenarios — sticks with students in a way that presentations simply cannot.

Pioneering Research and the Future of VR

From proppant transport studies to enhanced geological modeling, VR is enabling groundbreaking research. Tayfun Babadagli, a petroleum engineering professor at the University of Alberta, highlighted how VR offers deeper insights into subsurface processes:

VR makes it possible to visualize what’s happening between the wall of the fracture and proppant and how the proppant transports in the reservoir environment, he said. “Even the interaction between the two proppants—they hit each other, they collide.”

A Transformative Future

From eliminating physical constraints to enhancing collaboration, decision-making, and training, VR is reshaping how the oil and gas industry approaches its most pressing challenges. Immersive technology applications are expanding beyond traditional workflows, driving innovation across exploration, development, and safety.

As VR technology becomes more affordable and accessible, its adoption in the oil and gas sector is poised to grow. Devices like the Meta Quest 2 and platforms like BaselineZ make it easier than ever to explore immersive solutions.

“All of the technologies have kind of come together to create a perfect storm where everything becomes much, much more affordable,” said Dommisse. “It’s really the most affordable time in history to get into virtual reality.”

To learn more about VR in oil and gas and to read more of these interviews, check out Jennifer Pallanich’s full article in the Journal of Petroleum Technology.