US Patent 11370951 Methods of suspending weighting agents in a drilling fluid

Methods of suspending at least one weighting agent in drilling fluids. The embodiments include adding a quantity of precursor nanoparticles including carbon nanotubes supported by metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles to the drilling fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles and the drilling fluid are selected such that the metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles are dissolvable in the drilling fluid. The metal oxide catalyst nanoparticles dissolve in the drilling fluid, resulting in an amount of carbon nanotubes dispersed within the drilling fluid. The carbon nanotube dispersion increases the value of at least one of a Newtonian viscosity, a yield point, a plastic viscosity, and a density of the drilling fluid with the dispersed carbon nanotubes versus a similar or equivalent drilling fluid without the carbon nanotube dispersion. The method may further include adding at least one weighting agent which will become suspended in the drilling fluid.