Visualizing fluid flow through porous media in virtual reality

Systems and methods for visualizing fluid flows in a virtual reality (VR) environment are disclosed. A digital volume image representing a reservoir formation sample is obtained from an imaging device. The digital volume is segmented by assigning hydraulic properties of the formation sample to each volume element based on image properties associated with that volume element. Fluid flow is simulated using the segmented digital volume. A vector field representing flow properties at different points along one or more flow lines through the pore space is generated. An interactive visualization of a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment representing the formation sample with the flow line(s) is provided via a VR display. Responsive to receiving user input specifying an area of the environment to view at a selected level of detail, the specified area is rendered at the selected level of detail and a current view of the interactive visualization is updated accordingly.