Ball valves offer straight-through, unimpeded flow with a minimal valve body footprint.

Ball valve is the most used fluid shutoff valve in upstream oil and gas production facilities, both onshore and offshore. Ball valves are one of the most common valve types used in both residential plumbing and industrial processes. They are typically used for basic on/off service. For this reason they are referred to as shutoff valves, isolation valves, or stop valves.

A ball valve is a device with a spherical closure unit that provides on/off control of flow. The sphere has a port, also known as a bore, through the center. When the valve is positioned such that the bore is aligned in the same direction as the pipeline, it is in open position and fluid can flow through it.

They are operated with a simple 90 degree turn (qurter-turn) of a sphere shaped obstructor or "ball". When rotated 90 degrees, the bore becomes perpendicular to the flow path, meaning the valve is closed and the fluid cannot pass through.