During a drilling operation, fluids are circulated to flush out matter from the wellbore. A washpipe assembly allows for a fluid seal between the stationary and nonrotating component of the swivel or top drive and the rotating upper end of the drill stem. The more pressure a washpipe handles, the more effective the flushing process.

The largest manufacture of waspipes and power swivels in the world engaged Clark Seals to develop a washpipe seal that exceeded 10,000 PSI, thereby eclipsing the previous limit of 7500 PSI and giving them the strongest power swivel in the industry. The problem is, at 10,000 PSI rubber extrudes through a hairline crack, so traditional materials and sealing technologies would not work.

Clark Seals’ engineers created an innovative sealing assembly that combined a ceramic sealing surface, a spring-biased floating guide and a secondary and abrasive resistant elastomeric seal, resulting in a wash pipe seal assembly that created exceptional durability under extreme pressure and RPM conditions, Serviceability through detachable components, and cost-effective service life with reversible sealing surfaces.