This work presents the integrated use of a large scale Geographic Information System (GIS) with real-time threedimensional simulation resources using Virtual Reality techniques applied to Campos Basin region and focusing petroleum exploration and production. It will be presented the project considerations, the implementation process, and the characteristics and peculiarities of an interactive and immersive system for visualization of physical and spatial data in a realistic way forapracticalcase. The work developed by Applied Virtual Reality Group (GRVa) of Computational Methods in Engineering Laboratory in collaboration with Petrobras' Research Center intends to make possible the construction of a powerful tool of great importance for well location and design of subsea layout activities in addition to being a consulting tool, where geographic information identification of elements can be obtained, the technicians can simulate the behavior of several elements in the virtual environment (ships, platforms, etc.) by including the results of the structural or movement analysis
Nowadays, the activity of oil exploration in Brazil is concentrated in its largest province, the Campos Basin, responsible for sixty per cent of national oil production and eighty per cent of natural gas production, and located in the Brazilian continental platform. In 1974, when the exploration of Campos Basin began, the work was characterized by installations in depths not superior to hundred meters. Today, however, the depth has passed the thousands of meters and the quantity of equipment evolved also increased dreadfully. As the depth of work grew, the operations became more complex, the costs raised drastically and the fault tolerance was reduced in the same proportion.
