BHP Billiton Deploys 467 Fractal System Guns with 99.1% Reliability

To mitigate wiring issues in the field, Schlumberger developed the Fractal system, which includes a perforating gun that is preassembled at the manufacturing center, thus reducing the number of electrical connections made manually on location by 85%. The unique modular plug-and-play design also eliminates the O-ring threaded port plug on each gun, minimizing the risk of flooding. The crews experienced a 50% faster turnaround compared with conventional gun systems, which allowed them to focus on other aspects of operational planning and execution, safety, and maintenance while achieving 99.1% reliability. The Fractal system reduces the likelihood of misruns by up to 77% when compared with conventional systems. To address issues experienced by conventional perforating systems, the Fractal system features prewired guns to eliminate wiring connections and errors in the field. Full assembly in controlled conditions virtually eliminates the possibility of human error at the wellsite.