Patent ID: 6877712

Claim:
A method of sealing pressure within a blowout preventer, comprising the steps of: providing a blowout preventer with ram chambers having an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface; and mounting upper sealing elements, lower sealing elements and intermediate sealing elements to a sealing face of rams, the upper sealing elements engaging the upper sealing surface, the lower sealing elements engaging the lower sealing surface, the intermediate sealing elements being position between the upper sealing elements and the lower sealing elements, when the rains are in the sealing position and pressure is exerted from below the rams, sealing engagement between the intermediate sealing elements, the upper sealing elements and the upper sealing surface contain such pressure from below, when the rams are in the sealing position and pressure is exerted from above the rams, sealing engagement between the intermediate sealing elements, the lower sealing elements and the lower sealing surface contains such pressure from above.