AR & VR Technologies: Improving Safety & Productivity in Oil & Gas Industry

Although not as fast as the industries like healthcare, the oil & gas sector is gradually adopting AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technologies. According to the global AR & VR in Oil and Gas Market Report 2021, the AR/VR application in the Oil and Gas Market was worth US$ 106.7 million in 2018. It is projected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.4 percent through 2027 to reach around US$ 943.4 million.

AR and VR are used in a variety of ways in the oil and gas industry, including planning, maintenance, safety, and training. In this article, we will discuss where the oil & gas industry is using AR/VR technology, and how is it benefiting them?

Applications of AR/VR technology in Oil & Gas industry

The implementation of immersive technologies, like AR and VR, in the Oil and Gas industry has brought numerous benefits to the operational and safety capabilities of the companies. The advantages include the capacity to access control units, instruct and train employees, etc., remotely providing more flexibility to the supervisors and engineers with the on-site workers and machinery. 

Not only that, extended reality(ER) technologies, which include augmented and virtual reality, also offer cost-effectiveness in operations and training, and safety enhancements at the workplace. 

Let us discuss some of these advantages in greater detail.

Augmented Reality in Quality Assurance & Maintenance

Ensuring Worker Safety with AR in Oil & Gas Industry

In the oil and gas industry, augmented reality devices (such as smart glass hardware) can help enhance employee safety and efficiency by offering visual clues and signs, procedure visualization, and maintenance and operation instructions.

Specialists can use AR headsets for two-way access to communication with general service technicians. They can virtually look over the tasks in real-time through high-definition visuals and guide the general support technician wherever required. Organizations can document these processes and interactions for potential use in training and quality management.

Truly Hands-Free Experience is the Future

Imagine a working environment where the worker can keep a digital register of completed tasks and make new notations by voice, while he/she can do maintenance work with only a head nod or tilt. It is no longer a futurist sci-fi movie plot. 

During checks and repairs, AR assists in projecting hands-free orders for the technicians. AR headphones that clip onto hard hats will project hands-free instructions for a technician performing an inspection or device maintenance onto a piece of machinery. 

True hands-free communication ensures that if a person puts on a hands-free communication system, they can have communications and even send, receive, and read written information without having to use their hands (fingers) to manipulate anything. 

Experts of immersive technologies are developing a full hands-free UI for AR headsets that can detect and use the wearer's facial movements to assess the instructions that the user is giving to the system to perform.

Virtual Reality in Trainings & Safety

VR Solutions for Training

Oil & gas are undoubtedly one of the most important natural resources and have high demand in numerous industries. Therefore, it is a no-brainer that oil companies would want to stay super-efficient to make each ounce count.

Oil & gas companies put a strong impetus upon learning and development activities. Although most of the companies are still incorporating traditional methods during the initial classroom training of new hires, many companies are adopting immersive virtual reality applications for the training process.

Using VR technology for class training has two advantages:

• First, it improves the effectiveness of the original classroom learning that occurs before on-the-job training. VR tools that use digital walk-throughs in a realistic environment help trainees retain more detail and let them have a feel of the real environment in which they are going to work.
• Second, highly realistic VR training can prepare the trainees to tackle hazardous situations that can occur in operations. They can put protection and security procedures to the test, and also improve emergency procedure execution.

Trainees can virtually access an environment or communicate with a piece of equipment by wearing a VR headset. The feeling is completely immersive, much as in gaming apps.

For instance, Advantal’s VR Refinery features 3D models and graphics of a complete refinery operation, where the user can see detailed processes and 3D implemented models. VR Refinery is a cost-effective solution that helps participants understand refinery operations better in a completely immersive environment.

VR’s Application in Inspections and Safety

The application of VR technology doesn’t end at the training stage. Engineers can digitally and remotely monitor generators, pumps, compressors, and other on-site installations using sensor-enabled VR applications. In the event of equipment malfunction, technicians can use immersive VR headsets to do an initial evaluation of the problem.

In the upstream, Geoscientists are using virtual reality to simulate seismic activity and drill. Such simulations can help technicians prepare for disaster and incident management in upstream, midstream, and downstream oil & gas operations.

Way Forward

The oil and gas industry has yet to embrace AR/VR development in the same way that other industries, such as gaming, healthcare, and education, have. In refineries, however, companies are beginning to see progress with AR/VR, especially in maintenance and inspections.
As numerous studies are showing, the positive trends in the adoption of immersive technologies in the oil and gas industry will continue to rise in the coming years.