If the weight gets to 9 pounds per gallon or higher, the mud is high in solids, and immediate action should be taken to avoid damaging the rig's mud pump and other components. Rig A good drilling fluids recycling system should include a great mixing system with a venture-style hopper and a charge pump to send positive pressure feed back to the rig's mud pump. Adequate tank volume is important, but processing capacity of the system is even more important. A recycling system should be capable of processing at least one and a half times the maximum capacity of the rig's mud pump. This is usually determined by the size and number of hydrocylones the unit has.
Some units come with additional features, such as spoils pumps and pressure washers.
The system should require minimal effort for mobilization and demobilization. Along with being a piece of mud processing equipment, the system is also a work station and should have the required safety features such as adequate handrails and work area free of trip hazards. Workers are constantly climbing up and down the unit, so good stairways are a necessity. The proper pH adjustment of the water is even more critical because large amounts of unyielded bentonite will be discarded. Mud aeration problems can occur, resulting in air locked pumps and lots of down time.