Method of sealing pressure within a blowout preventer and a blowout preventer

1. 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.

2. 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;

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 rams 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 rains 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;

including a first pressure diversion port communicating drilling fluids under pressure from above the sealing elements to behind the rams, and a second pressure diversion port communicating with drilling fluids under pressure from below the sealing elements to behind the rams; and

selectively diverting drilling fluids under pressure through a selected one of the first pressure diversion port or the second pressure diversion port.

3. A blowout preventer, comprising:

a housing having a vertical bore and at least one pair of opposed horizontal ram chambers, the ram chambers having an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface;

rams reciprocally movable in the ram chambers between a retracted position spaced from the vertical bore and a sealing position closing off the vertical bore, each ram having a sealing face and an opposed face; and

upper sealing elements, lower sealing elements and intermediate sealing elements mounted to the first end of each of the rams, the upper sealing elements engaging the upper sealing surface, the lower sealing elements engaging the lower sealing surface, the intermediate sealing element being positioned between the upper sealing element and the lower sealing element, such that when the rams 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, and 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.

4. A blowout preventer, comprising:

a housing having a vertical bore and at least one pair of opposed horizontal ram chambers, the ram chambers having an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface;

rams reciprocally movable in the ram chambers between a retracted position spaced from the vertical bore and a sealing position closing off the vertical bore, each ram having a sealing face and an opposed face;

upper sealing elements, lower sealing elements and intermediate sealing elements mounted to the first end of each of the rams, the upper sealing elements engaging the upper sealing surface, the lower sealing elements engaging the lower sealing surface, the intermediate sealing element being positioned between the upper sealing element and the lower sealing element, such that when the rams 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, and 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; and

a first pressure diversion port that communicates with the vertical bore below rams and the ram chamber behind the opposed face of the rams, and a second pressure diversion port that communicates with the vertical bore above the rams and the ram chamber behind the opposed face of the rams, whereby fluids under pressure can be selectively diverted through a selected one of the first pressure diversion port or the second pressure diversion port to maintain the rams in the sealing position.

5. The blowout preventer as defined in claim 4 , wherein a first valve is provided for selectively opening and closing the first pressure diversion port and a second valve is provided for selectively opening and closing the second pressure diversion port.

6. The blowout preventer as defined in claim 4 , wherein the sealing face of the ram and the intermediate sealing element is provided with a “C” shaped profile which is adapted to seal around one of a pipe, coil tubing or wireline.

7. A blowout preventer, comprising:

a housing having a vertical bore and at least one pair of opposed horizontal ram chambers, each of the ram chambers having an upper sealing surface and a lower sealing surface;

rams reciprocally movable in the rain chambers between a retracted position spaced from the vertical bore and a sealing position closing off the vertical bore, each ram having a sealing face and an opposed face;

upper sealing elements, lower sealing elements and intermediate sealing elements mounted to the sealing face of each of the rams, the upper sealing elements engaging the upper sealing surface, the lower sealing elements engaging the lower sealing surface, the intermediate sealing element being positioned between the upper sealing element and the lower sealing element, such that when the rams 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, and 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;

a first pressure diversion port communicating with the vertical bore below the rams and the ram chamber behind the opposed face of the rams, and a second pressure diversion port communicating with the vertical bore above the rams and the ram chamber behind the opposed face of the rams, whereby fluids under pressure can be selectively diverted through a selected one of the first pressure diversion port or the second pressure diversion port to maintain the rams in the sealing position; and

a first valve for selectively opening and closing the first pressure diversion port and a second valve for selectively opening and closing the second pressure diversion port.