Back in 2005, I quit my job as a well-test engineer in order to start making games, my only passion, besides AI. At some point, a programmer friend and I created a prototype of a fully interactive training environment for oilfield operators. With my knowledge of oilfield equipment and operations, and his knowledge of 3D engine programming, it seemed the right thing to do…

The goal of the wellsite-simulator project was to explore the possibility of training oilfield operators on the on well-control equipment and safety. This type of training environment can easily tun into a commercial success, especially nowadays that realistic graphic engines are available. Back in those days our graphics were quite basic, but hey, even some artists at our company could probably have operated well-site equipment after playing around with this simulator. That’s good news!!!

 
[WARNING: Some of the terms and concepts within this article might not be understandable to people who have no idea where petroleum comes from! I included a bunch of Wikipedia links which might help.]

 
There are a bunch of nice features in this simulator. Here’s a list, along with a few screenshots:

 
1. The player’s avatar can walk around by clicking anywhere on the screen, wear his personal protective equipment and manipulate valves and hydraulic controls with intuitive controls. Clicking on the left side of a manual valve, e.g. opens it (1 turn or less). The GUI only consists of three buttons. The top one determines whether the player should wear a breathing apparatus or not. The second one determines the number of turns a valve rotates when clicked on once, and the third allows the player to use a sampling canister in order to gather oil samples from the sampling point on the production pipeline .

 
2. The flow of hydrocarbons is simulated with a mathematical flow model and the pressure, temperature and flow-rates are realistic. Valves, both manual ones and hydraulic ones follow realistic mathematical models in their effect on flow and pressure. Back-pressure from production separators is included in the simulation model, and so are the effects of the adjustable choke on the Christmas tree.

 
3. The sound of petroleum flowing through the pipes and when it gushes out due to a mistake in opening a valve, or even when there is a valve leak, is totally realistic and so are the hydraulic pumping sounds etc. Sound gives important feedback in the oilfield!

 
4. All graphics are as close to what you will see on an average well-site as it can get without a commercial graphics engine. The goal was to make sure the operator recognizes all controls once he enters a real well-site, not that he sits there is awe of the flashy graphics.

 
5. H2S (a deadly gas and number 1 killer in oilfields) dissipation and leakage are simulated using leak flow-rate, wind direction and distance of the operator from the source of leakage. There even is a wind-sock that turns realistically. If the operator is wearing his breathing apparatus (BA) when the leak happens, his life is spared, otherwise he drops dead!