How Shared Immersive Technology Delivers Value Across the Entire Energy Asset Lifecycle

There is no sector more critical to our daily lives than energy.

Though despite its societal importance, it has often been unable to innovate in the ways it has perhaps wanted, or even needed, too.

This is for a number of reasons, including the volatile and risky nature of the energy sector, combined with its critical importance. However, as we enter a new, greener world, and potentially golden age for the industry, it must now show the adaptability and flexibility it is capable of.

One of the things that has helped the energy sector to innovate is immersive technology. And, wherever you look in the world, energy companies have integrated it into their everyday workflows – whether that be in 3D design and engineering tools, VR training for health and safety programmes, or 360-degree footage for asset integrity purposes.

But there’s a problem.

The immersive content is stuck inside a VR headset (making it a solitary and, for many people, uncomfortable experience), or stranded behind a flat screen (defeating the purpose of the 3D aspect). That’s where shared immersive spaces like Igloo come into play.

In our early days, when we ran party tents at music festivals showing 360-degree videos and animation, few things could’ve been further from our minds. But one of the festivalgoers was a young engineer from a large energy company. He immediately saw the potential, asked us about the viability of integrating 3D engineering software with our systems and, impressed by our response, introduced us to his company’s innovation team.

Our journey into the world of enterprise and energy was underway, and one of our first-ever corporate clients was bp (who says all energy companies are risk-averse?).

Fast forward to now and, thanks to a dramatic increase in both hardware and software performance (as well as some incredible clients pushing the boundaries of what’s possible), shared immersive technology can now create value across the entire energy sector.

Energy clients use our technology in all stages of the energy asset lifecycle – from discovery, to development, to decommissioning – and the reasons they chose to work with Igloo include:

To help them design and deliver a new generation of low-carbon assets and infrastructure

To achieve new operational efficiencies

To mitigate risks more effectively

To reduce the carbon intensity of their operations

To speed up decision-making

To engage more effectively with stakeholders

To work more safely.

So, if you work in the energy sector and want to see how you can create real, tangible value across all your processes then here, we delve into different areas of the asset lifecycle and show how Igloo immersive technology creates value in each.

Discovery phase

One of the key benefits of shared immersive technology is the ability to visualise and interrogate data in ways that aren’t possible with other solutions. With shared immersion, you still retain the face-to-face communication essential for quick problem-solving and decision-making.

Igloo technology allows you to:

Visualise complex reservoir and subsea data

Integrate GIS, bathymetry and mapping data

Plan drilling campaigns with real precision.

Development phase

One of the most common uses of Igloo technology across any sector is the ability to liberate designs from their two-dimensional confines, and this is no different when it comes to energy.

Our technology assists with:

Develop and define initial concepts

Liaise with system OEMs

Review and discuss FEED-phase drawings.

In an infrastructure project in the UK, Igloo technology helped to achieve:
Months => weeks Rapid acceleration in engagement with planning authorities and local communities

Engineering procurement & construction phase

Shared immersive technology provides tangible value across procurement and construction, allowing for teams to streamline and enhance their existing workflows.

With Igloo technology you can:

Review and discuss P&IDs

Carry out clash reviews

Brief construction teams

Monitor project progress

Rehearse commissioning and start-up

Simplify handovers.

In a US energy project, Igloo technology helped to achieve:
+16,700 saving in work hours, representing a 20% reduction

Operations & maintenance phase

A primary benefit of investing in immersive technology is the ability to train staff and replicate digital environments.

We have seen Igloos used for:

Getting right inside digital twins

Briefing maintenance teams

Enhancing Asset Integrity Programmes

Training operatives

Bringing a whole new level of sophistication to connected worker initiatives.

Mature asset management & decommissioning phase

Igloo technology is increasingly being used to assist with the reaching of net zero targets, by reducing carbon use and allowing for the testing of decommissioning strategies.

Common practices include:

Collaborate on how to reverse engineer redundant assets

Review decommissioning campaigns

Reduce the need for site visits to remote locations.

In a UK energy project, Igloo technology helped to achieve:
+US$1.1m saved in travel costs, equating to +210,000 kg in avoided emissions

The Igloo opinion

None of this would be achievable without the great industry innovators and visionaries who have pushed the energy sector forward. And, there’s a reason many of them choose Igloo as their enabler.

For a shared immersive tool to deliver value in so many areas and across so many verticals, it requires software that’s malleable, supple, and works with as many external tools as possible.

That’s why we developed Igloo Core Engine - our software for operating, designing, and benefitting from shared immersive spaces.

Igloo Core Engine has been built from the ground up to be content agnostic, fit seamlessly into your workflows, and provide real, tangible value across all your processes. It comes equipped with an industry-leading and ever-growing number of industry integrations, including:

Out of the box

3D Repo, ArcGis, Atom, Avatour, eviFile, EVXR, Haliburton Landmark, Microsoft 365, Omniverse, Open Space, Procure, Siemens Walkinside, and VISCO.

Deep integrations

AVEVA, Baselinez, Bentley iTwin, Haliburton Landmark, Honeywell, Kairos, Luminova, Matterport, Revzito, TSC Simulation, VREX, XVR, and Yokogawa.

Plugins and viewers

Navisworks Manage, Revit, Cesium, ArcGis, Unity, and Unreal. Supported file types include GLTF, OBJ, and FBX file types.

And, if you have an immersive space and aren’t extracting the ROI you envisioned, Igloo Core Engine can be used to power any existing space, as well as any new one.

If you’d like to discuss how Igloo Core Engine can streamline your processes, help you reach carbon reduction targets, onboard staff safely and effectively, and provide tangible value across all aspects of your energy processes, then book a demo with us.

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