Abstract: A method of shear-thinning a slurry includes transferring slurry to be shear-thinned from a primary vessel or reservoir to a secondary vessel or reservoir, withdrawing at least a portion of the slurry in the secondary vessel or reservoir by means of a pump or motive device as a shear device thereby shear-thinning the withdrawn slurry, and returning or recycling at least a portion of the shear-thinned slurry back to the secondary vessel or reservoir. The slurry is withdrawn through an outlet from the secondary vessel or reservoir and is returned to the secondary vessel or reservoir through an inlet into the secondary vessel or reservoir with the inlet being spaced from the outlet.