As the oil and gas industry moves to recover more challenging reserves and enters the development of High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) fields, the risk of fire is increasing. There is therefore a move to the use of water-based hydraulic fluids, which present significant sealing challenges. 

To ensure sealing performance is maintained in water-based hydraulic fluids, it is imperative that operators understand the effects of high temperature exposure of sealing materials within water-based hydraulic fluids. Until now, these two elements have not been thoroughly tested together at high temperatures.