Although the concepts of Virtual Environments or Virtual Reality have been researched for many years, the industrial application of these concepts is a relatively recent event in the evolution of the human-computer interface. This paper outlines an investigation by a commercial research organization (BHP Research) into the application of this technology. The major domain under investigation was that of petroleum exploration. The focus of the research was two-fold, namely, the use of Virtual Environments to enable multi-sensory interpretation of data and the ability of Virtual Environments to enhance collaboration amongst work teams. Appraisal was conducted by trialing the applications amongst a wide user base. While it is not possible to divulge in full the recommendations that resulted from this work, a number of observations are made about the use of this technology for petroleum exploration. Furthermore, various general implications for the use of this technology are discussed.