	US 7,571,773 B1
	Multiple ball launch assemblies and methods of launching multiple balls into a wellbore
Lonnie C. West, The Woodlands, Tex. (US); Jason C. Mailand, The Woodlands, Tex. (US); Winfield M. Sides, III, Bellaire, Tex. (US); and Glenn A. Bahr, The Woodlands, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Baker Hughes Incorporated, Houston, Tex. (US)
Filed on Apr. 17, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/148,270.
Int. Cl. E21B 33/13 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 166—373 [166/75.15; 166/97.1; 137/268]

20 Claims

17. A method of launching multiple balls into a wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) disposing a multiple ball launch assembly in fluid communication with a wellbore, the multiple ball launch assembly comprising

a housing,

first and second ball launch pods disposed around an outer wall surface of the housing and in fluid communication with the housing bore, the first and second ball launch pods each comprising a ball housing for maintaining a ball prior to being launched into the wellbore;

a rotatable sleeve disposed in the housing bore, the sleeve having a sleeve bore in fluid communication with the wellbore, a first ball opening, and a second ball opening, the first ball opening corresponding to the first ball launch pod so that alignment of the first ball opening with the first ball launch pod causes a first ball to be launched from the first ball launch pod, through the first ball opening, and into the sleeve bore, and the second ball opening corresponding to the second ball launch pod so that alignment of the second ball opening with the second ball launch pod causes a second ball to be launched from the second ball launch pod, through the second ball opening, and into the sleeve bore; and

an actuator assembly operatively associated with the sleeve for rotation of the sleeve;

(b) actuating the actuator assembly to rotate the sleeve to align the first ball opening with the first ball launch pod;

(c) launching the first ball from the first ball launch pod through the first ball opening in the sleeve into the sleeve bore and, thus, into the wellbore;

(d) actuating the actuator assembly to rotate the sleeve to align the second ball opening with the second ball launch pod; and

(e) launching the second ball from the second ball launch pod through the second ball opening in the sleeve into the sleeve bore and, thus, into the wellbore.