A compressor for compressing refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit includes a housing defining a compression chamber. A screw rotor is mounted within the housing and configured to form a pocket of high pressure refrigerant and a pocket of low pressure refrigerant within the compression chamber. The screw rotor has a rotor shaft rotating about an axis. A bearing cavity includes at least one bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft. A partition through which the rotor shaft extends separates the bearing cavity from the compression chamber. A contacting seal is sealingly engaged with the rotor shaft and disposed in the bearing cavity proximate the partition. A passage has an opening adjacent the rotor shaft between the contacting seal and the compression chamber and in fluid communication with the pocket of low pressure refrigerant.