The principles behind extended reality (XR) are simple yet powerful. Leaders in both the private and public sectors are lining up to adopt this transformative enterprise solution and XR use cases across a wide range of industries are proliferating at an increasing rate.

Technology has always been the key to streamlining enterprise – and the driving force behind innovations and insights that have the potential to transform industries overnight. Embracing technological shifts is important to keep pace with the challenges posed by ever-changing global markets and consumer trends. 

Oil and gas meets XR

Today, the oil and gas industry faces unprecedented challenges that it must overcome to meet increasing global demand. Building structural resilience in the face of a skills shortage while maintaining rigid health and safety protocols is one such challenge. 

In 2016, General Electric identified "unplanned downtime" as a huge revenue sink, presenting their findings in a report on the impact of new digital workflows on downtime. They found that offshore oil and gas companies were losing, on average, $49 million a year due to unplanned downtime.

The problem? Oil and gas organisations were relying on outdated and inaccurate predictors for their maintenance. The solution was to digitise.

The same study offered a stark statistic from a 2014 Mercer report, which found that over 50% of the oil and gas workforce were set to retire over the next five to 10 years.

Yes, 2014. More than nine years have passed since that report was released. Needless to say, reskilling the future generation of oil and gas is going to require resourcefulness and some timely enterprise solutions.

It's no wonder that many of the leaders in oil and gas are turning to XR to find answers to these problems. According to GlobalData, enterprise XR market share is forecasted to reach $100 billion by 2030 – and oil and gas are expected to play a key role in this market growth. 

Transformative use cases in oil and gas: the case for XR

So far, XR adoption in oil and gas has been somewhat slow – at least compared to verticals like engineering and manufacturing. However, there are (some) good reasons for this.

First, oil and gas are under great regulatory pressure to meet health and safety demands, meaning the implementation of new technologies can be slow to push through. (Paperwork – and the rest of it!)

Second, offshore oil and gas traditionally lack network connections because of their remote locations. If they had any at all, they weren't reliable enough to build modern, digital workflows around. But that's all changed thanks to 5G and modern network capabilities.

So how can XR collaborations be used to buoy productivity, reskill and reshape oil and gas? Here's how. 

Connecting workers through remote assistance 

XR collaboration is the quiet revolution helping industries maximise their potential. With SimplyVideo, workers can instantly call in expert assistance where and when they need it.

When repairs and maintenance require specialist knowledge, workers can quickly dial a skilled engineer to guide them through the process. Using assisted reality (aR) headsets, employees can stream "see-what-I-see" video to an engineer, who can assess the situation and give step-by-step instructions on the repair. XR devices provide a safe solution by enabling hands-free operation, so the worker can carry out the work unhindered by clunky and fiddly mobile devices.

This reduces downtime by cutting down on lengthy callouts while maximising manpower across sites. Using live annotations and intuitive chat functions, instructions can be drawn directly onto snapshots of the video feed, increasing accuracy and reducing costly mistakes.

You don't need to worry about breaks in the connection either. SimplyVideo works just as well in situations where bandwidth is limited, supporting low-latency video calls in far-flung offshore sites. 

Improve training and embolden staff

Video collaboration is the key to sustainable and efficient training. XR can be used to train and familiarise staff on and off-site.

For instance, you can quickly bring multiple trainees up to speed with company protocol and workflow changes through SimplyVideo's powerful videoconferencing capabilities. With augmented reality (AR) enabled glasses, instructors can deliver intuitive training programs with 3D asset visualisation.

Digitising provisions like manuals, handbooks and schematics builds extra layers of resilience into your workforce. XR emboldens trainees with the confidence to move into the field with the practical knowledge needed in challenging and dangerous environments like oil and gas. 

Health and safety

Oil and gas can be extremely hazardous. Risks include explosions and fires, injuries from falls and traps, and ergonomic hazards related to heavy lifting and strenuous labour. This is why it's essential to raise awareness among staff about the risks associated with their work. 

Using XR, health and safety instructors can inspect sites through the eyes of the workers with "see-what-I-see" video. A worker can send a photo of something they've flagged as potentially dangerous and have a specialist take a look. Using SimplyVideo's Chat 4.0 feature, the image can be annotated and swiftly delivered back, improving knowledge on-site and creating a safer working environment for everyone. 

With VR and AR headsets, health and safety scenarios can be simulated and repeated, creating educated and conscientious workers. Of course, accidents do happen, and taking swift and deliberate action is essential to saving lives. With SimplyVideo's fast, voice-controlled video call function, help and assistance are only seconds away.   

Streamline workflow and save money

The net benefit resulting from XR collaboration is one of productivity and workflow. Track labour, connect staff and reduce unplanned downtime. And the net benefit of improving productivity and workflow? Well, you don't need us to tell you that! 

Sign up for a 30-day free trial of SimplyVideo today. With our XR-enhanced video conferencing services, you can transform your training, maximise your resources and smash your targets.

Want to hit the ground running with your XR investment? We're offering a new package with Expand Reality that's tailor-made for quick, hassle-free deployment. For an affordable monthly fee, you get the industry-ready mōziware cimō XR headset and a full-featured SimplyVideo subscription. Visit the Expand Reality website to learn more.