Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

Chee P Tan

Kenneth William Pober

Fersheed Khodadad Mody

Calum John Drummond

Darrell Wells

George Georgaklis

A method is disclosed that affords improved stability to wellbores during drilling in argillaceous formations with water-based drilling fluids. The method comprises adding to the drilling fluid a compound of the invention having the capacity in water to generate a highly efficient membrane on argillaceous materials. The compound is soluble in the drilling fluid at least at the pH at which the compound is added to the drilling fluid or exists in the drilling fluid, but is insoluble in the water in the pores of the argillaceous formations, or at least at the pH of the water in such pores.

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City Beach, Australia

Chee P Tan