The rapidly expanding application of visualization technology has the potential to fundamentally change the way companies conduct business in the oil and gas industry. Visualization technology has been used for years in exploration and development. Visualization is simply the graphical presentation of data in an intuitive fashion to reveal information. A bar chart, line graph, seismic section or reservoir map are all visualizations of data. Over the last five to ten years, the technology of visualization has advanced more and more rapidly, with improving resolution, interactivity and display size. The last three years have seen the growing acceptance of large collaborative and immersive visualization system in the upstream portion of the oil and gas industry.

Visualization on smaller desktop display systems focuses on discipline or "domain" specific applications (e.g. 3-D visualization applications used for 3-D seismic interpretation). These applications have demonstrated value through improving the accuracy, completeness and, to some extent, the efficiency of interpretation and reservoir modeling. These domain specific applications, however, provide only limited integration between disciplines, and little opportunity for collaboration between domain experts in front of the small screen.

The large collaborative semi-immersive and immersive visualization systems have the potential for broad application across the entire range of business, from the upstream to the downstream. These larger display systems, including large flat screens, curved screen theaters and fully immersive CAVETMs hold the potential to revolutionize the way business in conducted. These large systems facilitate the integration of data, and the integration and collaboration between members of interdisciplinary teams.

In it broadest sense, the term "immersive visualization" is used to describe not just the graphical display of data in 3-D, but the use of a wide variety of technologies to provide input to the user through a number of senses. The goal of this technology is to present the data or the environment to the user in an intuitive fashion and allow natural interaction with the data. In addition to graphical displays, the technologies involved include tracking systems, 3-D audio imaging and haptic systems. Tracking systems are used to track the user's viewing position and to appropriately update the display, or to track their hand position to enable interaction with the data in 3-D. Audio imaging in 3-D can be used in a variety of ways, including to presenting additional data or information to the user, or reinforcing some component of the visual display. Haptic systems incorporate the sense of touch into the human/data interaction.

The range of possible applications to business in the oil and gas industry includes data acquisition planning, data processing and interpretation, prospect generation and evaluation, prospect review meetings, integrated drilling planning, platform optimization, facilities design, maintenance and operation, training, virtual integrated teams, virtual specialists and telepresence in hostile environments. As this technology matures, and as it is applied broadly to both the upstream and downstream business, it will produce tremendous value through the reduction of cycle times and risk.