Patent ID: 7607481
Filing Date: 2009-10-27
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A ball and plug dropping head for use in sequentially dropping one or more balls and plugs into a well tubing, comprising: a) a housing having an inlet at its upper end adapted to be fluidly connected in line with the lower end of a top drive, an outlet generally aligned with the inlet; b) the housing having an inner surface surrounding an outer bypass channel and an inner flow channel, wherein each said channel connects to the inlet and the outlet; c) a plurality of valving members spaced between the inlet and the outlet, each valving member having an inner part with a flow bore, and being movable between open and closed positions, each valving member having an outer part in the form of fins that present a curved surface to the housing inner surface when the inner part is open, each fin having a thickness that does not valve flow in the bypass channel when the inner flow channel is closed; d) canisters in the housing that separate said inner and bypass fluid flow channels, said bypass channel enabling fluid to bypass the valving members inner part and the inner flow channel when a valving member inner part is in the closed position; e) wherein the valving members inner parts do not valve fluid flow in the bypass flow channel when the inner part is in the closed position; f) wherein fluid flow in the main channel flows around the valving member and in between the canisters and the housing inner surface when the valving member inner part is in the closed position and though the valving member inner part when the inner part is in the open position; g) wherein each valving member is configured to support a ball or plug when closed; h) wherein in the open position each valve inner part flow bore permits a ball or plug to pass therethrough, and circulating fluid to pass downwardly therethrough when neither a ball nor plug is in the valve flow bore.