Jet (venturi) mud mixing hoppers for drilling fluids · Feed flow and head from the centrifugal pump, nozzle velocity and vacuum, inlet and outlet sizes, mixing rates for barite and bentonite, dust and plugging
A mud mixing hopper adds dry materials such as barite and bentonite to drilling fluid: a centrifugal pump drives mud through a nozzle, the high-velocity jet creates suction under a funnel-shaped hopper, and powder drawn in is mixed into the stream and returned to the mud tank. Ask three things first: what flow and head the feed pump must deliver, how fast the hopper must add weighting and viscosity materials, and how dust and plugging are controlled.
Jet (venturi) mud mixing hoppers and skid-mounted mud mixing units with their feed pumps for drilling fluid preparation. Shear pumps, mud agitators, mud guns, complete mud tank systems and bulk barite silos are outside this page except where compared.
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01
HL Petroleum lists its jet mud mixing hopper, made of a venturi tube and jet nozzle, at an inlet flow of 180 m³/h, inlet head above 31 m, a 708 mm hopper diameter, 125 mm inlet and outlet, a jet speed of 45 m/s, 55 kW motor power, mixing speeds of 300 kg/min for barite and 150 kg/min for bentonite, and overall dimensions of 1,518 × 708 × 989 mm. [1]
US patent 7,401,973 (Dust-free low pressure mixing system) describes an eductor in which pressurised liquid passes through a nozzle into a low-pressure mixing region fed by suction ports, then through a cylindrical throat into a conical diffuser, producing a venturi effect. It states that the suction ports can reach near-perfect vacuum when the liquid travels at least 72 ft/s, and that the diffuser recovers 50–80% of the original liquid pressure. [3]
Editorial calculation: 180 m³/h through a 125 mm inlet is about 4.1 m/s. A 31 m head corresponds to an ideal nozzle velocity of about 25 m/s (√(2gH)), close to the patent's 72 ft/s (about 22 m/s); a 45 m/s jet would correspond to about 103 m. Ask the supplier how its stated jet speed and head relate, and size the feed pump for the hopper's required flow and head. [1] [3]
Give the supplier the mud type and density, mixing rates needed for barite, bentonite and other additives, available centrifugal pump flow and head (or whether to supply one), pipe sizes, skid or tank mounting, power supply and hazardous-area classification, dust control (sack cutting table, enclosed feeding), and whether a shear device is needed.
02
The same patent explains that traditional systems store barite or bentonite in a surge tank above the mud hopper and release it through a valve and hose, creating airborne dust that harms workers and equipment, and that "When flowing particulates from a storage unit to a mixing area the particulates often clog within the transportation conduit, which requires the transport conduit to be disassembled". It describes enclosed conduits and an eductor to mix without dust. [3]
HL Petroleum also lists complete mud mixing systems sized by mixing capacity and tank volume, from the HHX-20 (80 m³/h, 20 m³ tank, 2 × 7.5 kW agitators, 15 kW jet mixer) to the HHX-500 (720 m³/h, 500 m³ of tanks, 30 × 15 kW agitators, 3 × 75 kW jet mixers). [2]
Editorial calculation: at 300 kg/min, adding 30 t of barite takes about 100 minutes of continuous feeding; ask the supplier at what pump flow and head the listed mixing speeds were measured. [1]
03
Suppliers linked to this page list mud mixing hoppers or mud mixing systems; each card links to the page reviewed.
The suppliers reviewed list jet mud hoppers and mixing skids with other solids control equipment; ask each for required pump flow and head, nozzle size and replacement, mixing rates by material, materials of construction, and dust control options.
04
Wyo-Ben, a US maker of drilling-fluid products, publishes a product sheet for its 3-inch jet (venturi) hopper for mixing dry materials into liquids. The pump discharge is attached to the hopper inlet, and the sheet says "The pump should be able to provide 40 to 60 psi back pressure (typically 80 gallons per minute for 1” jet)". The discharge is extended with 3-inch steel or heavy PVC pipe, and a screw-together jet system lets the jet size be changed to suit the pumping system. The unit weighs 66 lb, measures 25 in high × 24 in long × 16 in wide, and is built of 12 gauge carbon steel. [4]
Editorial calculation: 40–60 psi is about 2.8–4.1 bar, or about 28–42 m of water head (fewer metres for mud denser than water), and 80 US gal/min is about 18 m³/h, one tenth of the 180 m³/h listed for the HL Petroleum hopper above. Inputs: 1 psi = 6.895 kPa; 1 US gal = 3.785 L. [4] [1]
Editorial note: the sheet gives no barite or bentonite mixing rate, so ask the supplier which jet sizes fit the hopper, the flow and back pressure each jet needs at your mud density, and mixing-rate test data for your materials.
| Item | Wyo-Ben 3-inch jet hopper | HL Petroleum jet hopper |
|---|---|---|
| Pump duty | 40–60 psi back pressure; 80 gal/min quoted for a 1-inch jet. [4] | 180 m³/h at above 31 m head. [1] |
| Discharge | 3-inch steel or heavy PVC. [4] | 125 mm outlet. [1] |
| Size and mass | 25 × 24 × 16 in; 66 lb. [4] | 1,518 × 708 × 989 mm. [1] |
| Body | 12 gauge carbon steel. [4] | Venturi tube and jet nozzle. [1] |
| Jet | Screw-together, changeable size. [4] | 45 m/s jet speed stated. [1] |
05
This is a functional reference built from the sources cited; it is not one maker's design.
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Feed pump | Supplies flow and head. [1] [2] | Flow; head; kW. |
| Jet nozzle | Creates velocity and suction. [3] [1] | Size; wear. |
| Funnel hopper | Receives dry material. [1] | Diameter; table. |
| Mixing chamber and throat | Mixes powder and liquid. [3] | Design. |
| Diffuser | Recovers pressure. [3] | Recovery. |
| Discharge line | Returns mud to tank. [1] | Size; routing. |
06
A mud mixing hopper quotation needs values for your rig. The table explains each field, gives published values where a reviewed source states them, and says what to obtain from the supplier.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Flow Rate (m³/h) | E.g. 180 m³/h inlet. [1] | Required flow. |
| Inlet Head (m) | E.g. above 31 m. [1] | Required head. |
| Jet Velocity (m/s) | E.g. 45 m/s stated; ≥72 ft/s for vacuum. [1] [3] | Basis. |
| Inlet / Outlet Diameter (mm) | E.g. 125 / 125 mm. [1] | Connections. |
| Hopper Diameter (mm) | E.g. 708 mm. [1] | Size. |
| Mixing Rate (kg/min) | E.g. 300 barite; 150 bentonite. [1] | Test conditions. |
| Motor Power (kW) | E.g. 55 kW. [1] | Power; voltage. |
| Dimensions (mm) | E.g. 1,518 × 708 × 989. [1] | Skid size. |
| Material | Wear and corrosion. | Body; nozzle. |
| Dust Control | Enclosed feed. [3] | Options. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mud: [type; density] Materials: [barite; bentonite; polymers] Rates: [kg/min per material] Pump: [flow; head; supplied or existing] Connections: [inlet; outlet] Mounting: [skid; tank] Power: [voltage; hazardous area] Dust: [enclosed feed; table]
These companies list mud mixing hoppers or mud mixing systems.
Lists jet mud mixing hoppers and mud mixing systems with solids control equipment.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists mud mixing hoppers with shear pumps, agitators and solids control equipment.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists solids control systems and spare parts; news notes shale shaker and hopper shipments.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
A pump drives mud through a nozzle; the jet creates suction that draws powder from the hopper into the stream, and a diffuser recovers pressure (US 7,401,973). [3]
HL Petroleum lists 180 m³/h at over 31 m head for its jet hopper. [1]
HL Petroleum lists 300 kg/min for barite and 150 kg/min for bentonite. [1]
Wyo-Ben says the pump for its 3-inch jet hopper should provide 40 to 60 psi back pressure, quoting 80 gallons per minute for a 1-inch jet. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-11. The US patent describes conventional mud mixing and its own eductor; HL Petroleum describes its own equipment.
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