Using Virtual Reality Technology in Oil and Gas Industry

International Journal of Engineering and Management Research e-ISSN: 2250-0758 | p-ISSN: 2394-6962
Volume- 9, Issue- 2, (April 2019)
www.ijemr.net https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.9.2.15
124 This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Using Virtual Reality Technology in Oil and Gas Industry
Zhalgas Jampeisov
Candidate of Master Degree, School of Media ang Design, Hangzhou Dianzi University, CHINA
Corresponding Author: Z_jampeissov@mail.ru
ABSTRACT
This article introduces the research of virtual
reality technologies used in the oil and gas industry. The
industry is so vast that the technologies used there are
radically different. Various aspects of oil and gas production
were considered, such as geodata modeling, real-time
production visualization technology. The problems and
possible solutions for translating CAD models into virtual
reality applications are indicated. Also, using virtual reality
technology, can increase the speed of work and reduce the
risk of errors, which is extremely important in the oil and
gas industry. As well as the benefits of learning and using
virtual reality to improve learning and understanding of
production processes.
Keywords— Virtual Reality, Oil and Gas Industry,
Computer-Aided Design
I. INTRODUCTION
Using virtual reality technology in Oil and Gas
industry is a new direction of industry development. A
person receives 80% of information about the world
through vision. Therefore, achieving realistic three-
dimensional visualization of data is important when
working with large arrays of geological information when
designing the development of oil and gas fields.
The use of the entire complex of 3D seismic
technologies in the design of drilling allows us to increase
the probability of drilling for oil by more than 2 times
compared with the old approaches, i.e. these technologies
are already paying off when designing drilling 1–2 wells.
Also, 3D stereoscopic visualization is actively used in
photogrammetry, remote sensing of the Earth and other
geo-information tasks.
There is an acute question about the
transformation of CAD models into virtual reality models.
Such as lack of realism, low productivity and frame rate,
inadequate processing of complex surfaces. There is still
no such integrated system in which it would be possible
to convert a VR model into a CAD model and vice versa.
But with the development of technology, applications are
being developed that gradually facilitate this process[1].
Intuitive and volumetric representation of
geological data allows an interdisciplinary team of
specialists to quickly process the field information,
analyze and develop the best solution for the development
of this field. This significantly speeds up development
and allows you to optimally plan the well trajectory and
reduce the number of drilling errors. There is a research
investigated the benefits of immersive VR for editing the
trajectory of the well[2].The research presents a
quantitative assessment of the use of immersion
technologies on the example of planning the trajectories
of oil wells. An experiment was developed in which the
quality of tasks performed by people was compared
between immersive virtual environment and the desktop
workstation.
The use of additional equipment (interactive 3D
devices, video conferencing systems, sound equipment,
communication channels, etc.) allows to combine the
efforts of various specialists from the well to the central
office in real time.
II. GEOLOGICAL DATA
Oil and gas exploration is based on data from
two sources - well logging and seismic exploration.
Seismic surveys provide a broad overview of large
formations, well log data provide detailed information on
sampling sites down the wellbore.
Seismic exploration is the leading method of
field geophysical surveys of the earth's crust. The
principle of its application is based on the ability of rocks
of different composition to conduct oscillations of elastic
waves with different speeds. Mainly, elastic waves are
artificially excited on the surface of the earth using
explosive charges explosions during seismic prospecting.
In the process of propagation in the earth’s crust, elastic
waves, interacting with heterogeneities of the geological
environment, undergo processes of reflection, refraction
and diffraction. As a result, part of the seismic energy
returns to the surface of the earth, where it is captured by
special devices called seismic receivers, or seismographs.
Analysis and interpretation of the results obtained after
processing allows to determine the depth, shape and
petrophysical properties of the properties of researchable
objects and, therefore, their structural features, reservoir
properties and fluid saturation.
Logging includes a variety of geological well
survey methods. As a rule, the procedure is accompanied
by the preparation of the necessary documentation
necessary for the detailed study of wells. Such research is
usually based on the study of geophysical fields. To
unveil physical reserves of wells, well logging is carried
out using various methods that have different efficiencies,
not only depending on the terrain and tasks set for
logging, but also on many other factors. Well logging is
carried out in various ways, but they are united by one

common task: the study of artificial and natural physical
fields of various nature. The intensity of the cutting
depends on the properties of the soil.
There are several well logging methods. The
method of electrical research is based on changing the
magnetic field of the soil layer. The principle of operation
is as follows: using a special probe in the mine,
measurements of the electric field are made. Using the
method of nuclear-geophysical logging, find out what the
density of the well, its porosity, the amount of coal,
whether there is hydrogen or other gases in the soil. There
are the following subtypes of this research method:
gamma-ray; gamma-gamma logging; the neutron method.
Acoustic logging measures the speed of the sound signal,
which is necessary for him to pass the soil in the space
near the well.
III. VISUALIZATION IN VIRTUAL
REALITY
Investigating seismic data, experts determine
areas of interest that are compared with log data. Based
on this information, they model subsurface structures,
such as rock layers and boundaries between materials.
Then, using the software, three-dimensional modeling of
underground structures is performed. To facilitate the
work with three-dimensional models of underground
layers, in German National Research Center for
Information Technology[3] have developed a cubic
mouse for navigation in a seismic cube and for placing
three layers. This device tracks input in the form of a
cube that simulates the shape of a seismic cube. The
mouse-cube is controlled by a sensor with 6 degrees of
freedom, and the orientation of the seismic cube is
synchronized, effectively placing the seismic cube in your
hand. The mouse rotates the seismic cube. Because other
structures, such as horizons, faults, and wells, are defined
relative to the seismic cube like in figure.1, and they
move with it. Analyzing these 3D maps, experts estimate
the probability of finding hydrocarbons there and their
expected volume, after which further work is planned [4].
Geologists have to work with large amounts of data,
analyze them and draw conclusions that require a lot of
time and effort.
The oil and gas industry use three-dimensional
geometric models that are created using CAD systems to
interact with information systems. This is due to the fact
that CAD systems have evolved from drawing programs
into collaborative design tools. It combines geometric
modeling with specialized tools for managing engineering
documents and computer visualization. This combination
reflects the need for enterprise information management
systems-data warehouses that help reduce costs and
increase efficiency by improving control over the entire
project life cycle.
Figure:1 A 3D seismic cube
There is a significant gap between VR and CAD
models due to different VR tools and CAD goals. VR
tools support actions with high visualization requirements
to provide better immersion in physical conditions using a
virtual model. While CAD tools create detailed,
performance-oriented models.
There are two main methods for integrating VR
technology into a CAD system. The first is when virtual
reality is a form of human-computer interaction that uses
CAD systems to perform common tasks, such as
collecting and drawing. The second considers VR as an
improved form of visualization of the CAD model in real
time and interaction with it.
But in the implementation of both of these
approaches there are problems and difficulties. One of
them is the complexity of CAD models that were not
intended for real-time visualization. This leads to an
unsatisfactory frame rate, which reveals the entire
geometry and increases the complexity of the model.
Another problem is incorrect processing of geometry.
During the conversion of CAD to VR, there is usually a
loss of accuracy and geometry. Because of this, virtual
reality models are not of high quality and contain many
geometrical errors. Active research is underway to solve
these problems. For example, some CAD tools are
developed taking into account virtual reality technology,
but there is no possibility to integrate them with virtual
reality resources. Or they may work with several project
environments, but because of this, it is difficult to create
complex models.
An application that tries to solve some of these
problems is Environment for Virtual Objects Navigation
(Environ)[5]. One of the goals of ENVRON is to create
an infrastructure for optimizing the generation of a virtual
reality environment based on CAD models. This
application contains a 3D environment for real-time
visualization and plug-ins that convert models from third-
party applications to the Environ’s format. This format
extracts and exports semantic information such as

databases (external) and attributes (internal) for models.
Environ imports Aveva’s PDMS (Plant Design
Management System) and Intergraph’s PDS (Plant
Design System) formats. Since the virtual reality model
supports semantic information, these methods become
effective for analyzing projects.
ENVIRON supports the design of drawing areas,
which is useful when modeling offshore oil platforms,
where material, material supply and overloading are
complex and expensive. Using the CAD platform model,
users can correctly draw areas for drawing, given the
location and shape of objects. The screenshot of platform
in EVNIRON application is shown in figure.2. The
application also provides the ability to rotate, move and
scale, and also provides an accurate measurement of the
distances between different objects. Another advantage
that ENVIRON users can afford is to embed real terrain
data, combine it with images from space and easily
convert it to a three-dimensional grid. And then use this
data in a virtual reality environment in real time.
Figure:2 ENVIRON Screenshot
IV. TRAINING AND BENEFIT
Virtual reality, being a training and
familiarization tool, is ideal for helping professionals in
the energy sector understand their craft better. Many
interesting applications are being worked on that can
allow energy companies to develop use cases, train
employees in “virtually identical” workplace
environments, increase productivity and decrease risks.
The VR training can offer oil and gas companies
numerous benefits. Oil drilling platforms, refineries and
processing plants are some of the most complex pieces of
machinery that are managed by highly trained
professionals, who sometimes have to work in harsh
conditions. As even routine operations require thousands
of expertly executed man-hours, the importance of proper
training cannot be undervalued. Creating a virtual replica
of a rig is a lot cheaper than constantly ferrying students
back and forth from one. Since VR technology was
developed enough to provide the virtual experience as
good as the real one, students can graduate with a good
grasp on their skills, saving significant amount of money.
The participants of Gurchillaet al. [2]research
were able to accomplish the tasks of editing a well
trajectory faster in an immersive virtual environment than
in a desktop environment. In this experiment, sixteen
participants planned four oil wells. Each participant
planned two tracks for wells on a desktop workstation
with a stereoscopic display and two tracks for wells in
immersive virtual environment. The solution time
required for an individual participant to perform two tasks
in a virtual immersive environment was faster than the
solution time required for the same participant to perform
two tasks in a desktop environment. Fifteen participants
completed the task in IVE faster than on the desktop,
while only one participant completed the task faster on
the desktop.
The participants in this research had a broader
understanding and accurate views in immersive
environment, which show the number of correct decisions.
Nine participants were the best solutions in IVE, one
participant performed better in a desktop environment,
and six participants had the same number of correct
solutions in both environments. There was not only an
increase in the speed of solving problems, but also an
increase in the accuracy of solutions, which is very
important for the oil and gas industry, where saving time
and money comes first
V. A COLLABORATIVE WORKFLOW
With improved technology, people need to
analyze more and more data. Therefore, the methods that
help process this data should also keep up with the times.
The described project from Ismail et al [6] is a service-
oriented architecture designed to create a collaborative
environment called Collaborative Engineering
Environment (CEE). It integrates Virtual Reality methods
into a system in which the execution of various
engineering modeling sequences is modeled as scientific
workflow. Attention will be paid to offshore oil and gas
engineering. Cooperation is most important in this area,
because solutions are interdependent. Each decision or
team activity can affect others. For example, when
designing an oil platform, changing the position of large
and heavy equipment on a process plant can jeopardize
the stability of the production unit. There is also an
internal connection between the decisions of various
subprojects, which requires intensive interaction and
discussion between the working departments. Another
reason to establish a connection is that, experts are
dealing with the same information, for example, on risers,
geolocation systems, platforms, etc. As a rule, they have
different ideas about this data, based on their
specialization.

Another difficulty, when working with offshore
engineering projects, is visualization of large engineering
models. At the conceptual design stage of an industrial
enterprise, several simulations are needed to assess the
reliability and implementation of the project. Some of
these simulations require tremendous computing power,
such as using computer clusters. To provide the user with
a full understanding of the results, visualization should be
as accurate as possible.
The CEE architecture provides a variety of
computer-supported collaboration technologies. The
system consists of three components: Collaborative
Visualization Environment (CVE) based on a
Videoconference system (VCS) and a Virtual Reality
Visualization (VRV); Project Management Environment
(PME) is responsible for overall project management and
tracking of all information and various artifacts; and a
Scientific Workflow Environment (ScWfE) is associated
with Grid Computing Infrastructure (GCI) to perform
huge engineering simulations. Thanks to the flexibility of
CEE, it can be used to jointly solve problems or collect
new data. Each workflow includes a sequence of
simulations and is processed by joint visualization.
VI. CONCLUSION
Virtual reality technology is already deeply rooted in
our daily lives; from the entertainment tool they have
gradually become used for professional needs. Virtual
reality technologies are used by both architects and
designers, as well as doctors and engineers. Especially
these technologies are useful in the oil and gas production,
which is one of the most expensive industries.
Visualization and further processing of geological
data is very important for successful exploration of oil-
bearing formations. Virtual reality technology greatly
simplifies the processing of large amounts of data. In
addition, the use of technology reduces the likelihood of
errors, it is important in this industry, where mistakes can
lead to millions of dollars’ losses.
The main problem is the transfer of CAD models to
virtual reality applications. Because these models were
not naturally created for transmission to the virtual
environment. Many specialists work on this problem and
find compromise solutions, which in turn bring some
aspects to the sacrifice of others. One such solution is
ENVIRON, most of whose research is focused on
rendering massive models in real time.
Another usage area of virtual reality technology is
the creation of collaborative workspaces. Due to the
presence of many departments that are responsible for
their projects, cooperation plays an important role in the
successful implementation of all the work. This article
contains information about the Collaborative Engineering
Environment technology, using the example of
production onan oil platform. Since cooperation is most
important there because of the limited space and
remoteness of land.
While virtual reality technologies have almost
reached the limit on entertainment, they have significant
growth potential in the oil and gas industry. Industrial
companies have sufficient resources and good reasons to
invest in the development of virtual reality technologies
for use in the enterprise.
REFERENCES
[1] Eduardo T. L. & Corseuil et al. (2004). ENVIRON -
Visualization of CAD models in a virtual reality
environment. Available at:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1
.128.6322&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
[2] K. Gruchalla. (2004). Immersive well-path editing:
Investigating the added value of immersion. Available at:
http://www.gruchalla.org/papers/gruchalla2004.pdf.
[3] FrohlichB., Barrass, S., Zehner, B., Plate, J., & Gobel,
M. (1999). Exploring geo-scientific data in virtual
environments. Available at: https://www.uni-
weimar.de/fileadmin/user/fak/medien/professuren/Virtual
_Reality/documents/publications/1999exploring-
geoscientific-data.pdf.
[4] K. Bjørlykke. (2010). Petroleum geoscience: From
sedimentary environments to rock physics. Springer-
Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
[5] A. B. Raposo et al. (2009). Environ: integrating VR
and CAD in engineering projects. IEEE Computer
Graphics & Applications, 29(6), 91-95.
[6] Ismael H. F. dos Santos et al. (2012). A collaborative
virtual reality oil & gas workflow. The International
Journal of Virtual Reality, 11(1), 1-13.

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