WELLHEAD BALL CATCHER Russian patent published in 2021 - IPC E21B31/03 

FIELD: oil and gas industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a device for servicing wells in the oil and gas industry and can be used at the wellhead for capturing and retaining balls after various technological operations. The device includes a housing with a through channel for balls and fluid from the well. The through channel by means of a rod is connected at one end to the wellhead assembly, while its other end is made with a hole connected to the inlet to the container for collecting balls, equipped with a socket for installing an insert with a figured end for directional movement of balls into the container and connected to a flange outlet. The housing and the insert are made with a mating hole for mounting the fixing element to orient the figured end of the insert relative to the inlet to the container. The through channel of the housing is made with a diameter that exceeds the diameter of the largest ball to be removed from the well, the insert is made with through holes for fluid outlet from the housing, the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the balls trapped. The container is made in the form of a hollow cylinder, in the upper part of which a flat spring is installed, which can move angularly towards the housing when a force is applied to it, preventing the balls from moving in the opposite direction. The free end of the container is provided with an adapter, while the adapter and the flanged outlet are connected to a pipeline for draining liquid from the housing. The body is equipped with a hinge for assembly work. The figured end of the insert is made with a radius bevel.

EFFECT: tripping operations on the well are excluded, guaranteed extraction of balls from any materials from the well is ensured, providing a continuous flow of fluid through the device even with trapped balls, the duration of the process of extracting balls from the well and the consumption of working fluid are reduced.

3 cl, 8 dwg