Abstract: A barite recovery hopper includes a shell having an open top, wherein the barite recovery hopper is adapted to receive a flow of recovered barite particles from a solids discharge chute of a decanter centrifuge through the open top of the shell. An inlet is adapted to receive a flow of drilling mud from a mud tank. A hopper bypass gate is adapted to seal a bottom opening of the shell when the hopper bypass gate is in a closed position during a barite recovery operation, and to allow collection of at least a portion of the recovered barite particles for mixture, inside of the barite recovery hopper, with the flow of drilling mud received through the inlet when the hopper bypass gate is in the closed position. An outlet is adapted to discharge a flow of the recovered barite particle/drilling mud mixture to the mud tank.