Patent ID: 8936079
Filing Date: 2015-01-20
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A ball catcher for recovering balls carried within a fluid flow of wellbore fluids returning from a wellhead, comprising: a catcher body positioned along a flow path of fluid from the wellhead to a flow outlet, the catcher body in fluid communication with a ball recovery chamber which intersects the flow path, the balls having a first velocity vector along the flow path; a diverter fit to the catcher body and having a wellhead end extending into the flow path, a bore being open at a tail end and in fluid communication with the flow outlet, and having a diverter face at the wellhead end, the wellhead end being positioned inline with the first velocity vector for intercepting and substantially arresting the balls and diverting at least the balls into the ball recovery chamber; a plurality of flow passages extending through the wellhead end of the diverter to the bore for conducting the fluid flow, free of at least the balls, from about wellhead end to the bore for discharge through the tail end; and an isolation valve positioned between the catcher body and the ball recover chamber or isolating the ball recovery chamber from the flow path for servicing of the ball recovery chamber, and when so isolated the wellbore fluids continue to flow along the flow path from the wellhead to the flow outlet.