A seal system for a bearing compartment of a gas turbine engine includes an annular rotating seal seat in contact with the seal element to form a dry seal interface therebetween to separate am oil-wetted zone from a dry zone. The annular rotating seal seat forms a dry zone annular space adjacent to the annular seal element and the rotating component. The annular rotating seal seat having an oil return passageway through the rotating seal seat to provide a communication path from the dry zone annular space outboard of the rotating component back to the oil-wetted zone.