Efficiency of 3D Geodata Visualization for Teaching and Learning: Case Study of BSc Petroleum Geoscience Course

In recent years, the usage of virtual reality (VR) applications has expanded in the fields of geoscience education, scientific research, and communication. The usage of VR in geoscience has benefited from the democratization of once inaccessible geodata which has been proven as an effective visualization tool in analyzing and learning the earth’s geodata. In this study, we impose a teaching and learning activity of subsurface seismic and well data using 3D VR technology which is commonly used in industry standard software such as Paleoscan, Petrel and JewelSuite. Prior to the VR implementation, the respondents (students from BSc Petroleum Geoscience background) were familiar with the software that typically visualized using 2D computer screens. In this work, we examine the efficiency of immersive virtual reality tools for teaching and learning subsurface seismic datasets. The data includes a one post-stacked time migrated mega merge 3D seismic survey tied to wells with an average seismic velocity of 1700 ms−1 calculated from base to top of the carbonate. The students can interact with seismic data such as change scales, color sets, and perform preliminary seismic interpretation. It is found that the implementation of virtual reality (VR) has subsequently enhanced the respondents’ skills in understanding and performing seismic data analysis that benefits the overall Petroleum Geoscience course.