When visualization centers were touted as the new interpretation tool late in the 1990s, big curved screens driven by supercomputers allowed asset teams to meet and view 3-D and related data with more pixels than ever before. In some installations, the centers were used primarily as presentation venues. Users did not have direct control because pilots were required to drive the complex software utilized for visualization. Only the largest companies were seen as being able to deploy such a luxury.

A decade has passed since the first centers were installed, and the pervasiveness and value of visualization continues to be questioned. Who is using visualization? How have centers evolved? Most importantly, what is the return on investment? Pioneer Natural Resources and Nexen Inc. are examples of companies that have adopted visualization at different times but are realizing the value daily.

Reasons for deployment

For Pioneer and Nexen, determining the need for a visualization room was an evolving process. "We evaluated the state of visualization every other year," said Carol Tessier, director of Engineering & Enterprise Solutions for Pioneer in Dallas, Texas. "Timing is everything. Certainly the falling cost of the technology opened the door to making a decision to invest, but even more important was the company's readiness to utilize the technology."

Declining product costs, smaller and more powerful computers, and advanced software are enabling more companies to drive large, interactive and stereoscopic datasets on inexpensive PC and Linux computers.

Pioneer considered adopting visualization a few years ago after larger company partners using the technology espoused the value of collaboration. It wanted full value out of its 3-D seismic data as well as to better utilize all resources in decision-making. While information may be shared in advance of a meeting, a visualization room may be the first place everyone sees their work as a cohesive dataset. According to Tessier, "Our technical teams will study the data for weeks and then, in a meeting, try to get others to understand what they have thought through over the last few weeks in a couple of hours. Visualization is a tool to help others catch up more quickly."

Nexen realized that geoscientists working in their individual offices were not collaborating and sharing the datasets and interpretations they were generating. Cathy Buckle, manager-technical data and application services at Nexen, said, "We wanted to provide a venue for geologists, geophysicists and engineers to work together; view the same data and images on a big screen; and collaborate on the best ways to explore, drill, develop and produce Nexen's properties. The visualization room became an integral overall technical computing and data management strategy."

Centers that meet business needs

The companies used similar, cross-discipline teams to evaluate the needs and implementation of their centers. All agreed that taking time to develop a strategic plan was the key to the success of the facilities.
Both Nexen and Pioneer had teams of up to 10 people (including geoscience, engineering, IT and executives) involved. They visited different installations of varying configurations to gather opinions on cave automatic virtual environment (CAVEs), flat walls, curved walls and reconfigurable systems. They investigated vendors through personal meetings and references. Pioneer's process took 6 to 7 months, including the time to reconsider available internal space.

Nexen's first center, a 7-ft high by 17.5-ft wide (2-m high by 5.3-m wide) stereoscopic wall, is aptly named "The Bridge," not just because of its Star Trek appearance but also because of its goal to bridge the communication gap between disciplines. Foremost a workroom, the Bridge has seen success "wowing" investors, hosting community groups and acting as an internal communication tool. The demand on the Bridge led to the development of two smaller collaboration rooms.

Pioneer installed its first system, an 16-ft wide by 8-ft high (5-m wide by 2.5-m high) stereoscopic wall, in its Dallas corporate office in September 2002. Since team members wanted to view drilling data stereoscopically, the large, to-the-floor screen provided some sense of immersion without the added expense of a curved screen or walk-in CAVE system. To Pioneer, the flat screen felt more like a working environment than a demonstration room.

Pioneer is now working on deployment of smaller team rooms in Alaska and Argentina, configured to match the work being done there. The goal is to link the three centers for real-time collaborative well planning. As with Nexen, Pioneer's new satellite centers are not as elaborate but fit the business need and staff numbers at each site.

Calculating the benefits

Both companies agree that quantifying the benefits of their rooms is difficult. Even 2 years after implementation, they are trying to calculate savings from their investment. Both know they have reduced cycle times. At Nexen, the hand-off of information has been drastically reduced since data can be shared in the room. Where PowerPoint presentations and stills were previously used, real-time 3-D data has led to more timely and informed decisions. Nexen's users now complain when the room is not available. "I think that's a good indication of acceptance," Buckle said.

Pioneer has recognized improvements in efficiency and better use and understanding of the data as well as improved recommendations by all asset team members as demonstrated by better feedback in peer reviews and results. The main benefit of Pioneer's visualization center is found in the collaboration of its work teams. According to Tessier, "The collaborative nature of the visualization room has encouraged more teams to come in as they find they can make decisions faster."

Center usage and maintaining momentum

All activity considered, Nexen's Bridge has enjoyed a consistently high utilization rate. Pioneer's center averages 70-80% usage and as of late has experienced scheduling issues, a resounding success according to Tessier. Usage is driven by the projects and the need for teams to make quick decisions or review a new prospect.

Each company advises that a center needs a local champion, an expert and proponent of the center who will educate and promote the value of the technology. The technology needs to be visible and seen as easy to operate. "A visualization room is a fundamentally different way to work," said Buckle, "and this can be intimidating." Having an expert/administrator working with the users allows them to concentrate on the data, not the technology.

Pioneer sees no issue in maintaining momentum. Most people are fully engaged in the technology. "Pioneer geoscientists and engineers typically embrace new technology that improves their results and helps them to move faster," Tessier said. "After their first time in the center, there is no convincing to do any more."

Getting started

As advice to others considering a visualization center, Tessier and Buckle recommend reaching out and getting information from others in the organization and other oil companies that have systems the geoscientists and engineers have viewed and liked. Schedule visits and ask questions. A well-planned center invites involvement and use.

Many companies believe that their business is unique and can't be modeled after others. Tessier's advice is to look at the business needs of the organization. And once a study has been completed, she said, "Deliver and be prepared to make adjustments as the teams figure out how to make best use of the technology."

While some would prefer to calculate a hard return on investment (ROI) before spending the money on a visualization center, she added that ROI is anecdotal - a factor of people's experiences realized only after a center has been installed.

Looking ahead to the next decade, most companies that use visualization as a core part of their subsurface business feel that the potential of visualization will be an even broader enabler of technical work and that collaborative decision making has only begun to be tapped. The cost and complexity of the supporting hardware and computing platforms will decrease significantly, while the user experience will be rapidly enhanced so that generalists will think of visualization as part of base business - just how they work.

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