APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE VISCOSITY OR THE DENSITY OF A DRILLING FLUID

摘要

A method for controlling viscosity (or density) of drilling fluid containing solids, said drilling fluid circulating in a drilling fluid system, which method comprises the steps of: (a) feeding drilling fluid into a container (16); (b) sensing with a viscosity (or density) sensor (19) a viscosity (or density) of drilling fluid in said container (16) and providing a viscosity (or density) signal representative thereof; (c) in response to said viscosity (or density) signal pumping a portion of said drilling fluid to a solids separation apparatus (40); (d) separating with said solids separation apparatus (40) at least some of the solids from said portion of drilling fluid; and (e) returning to said drilling fluid system drilling fluid and/or solids separated in step (d) to adjust the viscosity (or density) of said drilling fluid in said container (16).