Ball and Sleeve plungers (Pro-Seal Patent #6148923) are combined with a spiral groove pattern on the outer diameter to create a turbulent sealing surface. The ball plunger combined with a pad plunger is called a pad/ball plunger (US#7243730 and Canadian #2,592,839C).

Ball and Sleeve Plungers are used in three different well types:

1. high flow rate, high fluid rate wells
2. gas-lift assisted locations
3. low bottom hole pressure fields

Numbers 1 and 2 are similar in that both well types have plenty of gas available such that a high efficiency plunger is not a requirement. Neither well type respond favorably to a shut-in period. Because the Ball and Sleeve Plunger can return to the bottom of the tubing quickly, even against flow, it is used in high flow-rate wells that do not require a shut-in period for pressure building. Therefore, when using a gas-lift set-up, the compressor is not required to recirculate for an excessive length of time while using less gas to lift the same amount of fluid. The typical shut-in time for the flow line to be shut-in is less than 1 minute, instead of 45 minutes or more with a conventional plunger.

If the formation is high volume but low pressure, then the smallest amount of fluid down-hole will depress gas flow to the surface. Using a conventional plunger is seldom the solution because, during the shut-in period, even more fluid is collected against the formation by the wiping action of the conventional pad plunger as it pushes liquid downward as it falls.

The ball and sleeve plunger does not require a shut-in of any duration; therefore any water strung along the tubing string will not automatically be collected and pushed downward by the Sleeve. With the quick return trip, up and down action of the Sleeve Plunger, not much fluid remains idly within the tubing. Therefore, the low-pressure formation is not retarded in its gas flow to the surface.