Book excerpt: A Practical Handbook for Drilling Fluids Processing delivers a much-needed reference for drilling fluid and mud engineers to safely understand how the drilling fluid processing operation affects the drilling process. Agitation and blending of new additions to the surface system are explained with each piece of drilled solids removal equipment discussed in detail. Several calculations of drilled solids, such as effect of retort volumes, are included, along with multiple field methods, such as determining the drilled solids density. Tank arrangements are covered as well as operating guidelines for the surface system. Rounding out with a solutions chapter with additional instruction and an appendix with equation derivations, this book gives today's drilling fluid engineers a tool to understand the technology available and step-by-step guidelines of how-to safety evaluate surface systems in the oil and gas fields.