WATCH · Watch — trend and planMud system →Cost of fault ≈ $40k+ / incident
Why it matters
Settled beds reduce effective pit volume, hide solids that suddenly re-enter suspension as a slug, and can barite-sag a weighted mud. They make every property reading less representative of the true system.
Likely causes
Agitators undersized or too few for the tank.
Worn / fouled impellers losing coverage.
Mud guns dead or mis-aimed — no bottom sweep.
Agitator / gun placement leaving corners unswept.
Guns valved off or run at low pressure.
High-weight mud prone to settling without strong agitation.
High solids load overwhelming the agitation.
Coarse solids that settle quickly between sweeps.
How to diagnose it
Probe tank bottoms / corners for settled solids.
Compare properties between pits and before / after stirring.
Check agitator coverage and impeller condition.
Check mud-gun line-up, aim and pressure.
Estimate lost effective volume from the bed.
The fix — step by step
Re-aim / activate mud guns to sweep tank bottoms and corners.
Right-size and reposition agitators for full coverage.
Service worn impellers restoring agitation.
Keep guns at the pressure needed to keep solids in suspension.
Clean out settled beds and prevent re-formation.
Confirm it's fixed
✓ Verify: No settled bed on probing; properties consistent before and after stirring across all active pits.
Field note. A ‘quiet' pit is not a clean pit — it's often a settling pit. The calm corner you're not agitating is building a bed that will report as a solids slug the moment someone stirs it. Sweep the bottoms with the guns; calm water in a mud tank is a warning, not a comfort.