Patent ID: 8148305

Claim:
An additive in water-based drilling mud compositions comprising oligoglycerol fatty acid esters, prepared from (a) an acid component selected from (a1) fatty acids of the general formula (I) R—COOH (I) in which R represents a saturated or unsaturated, branched or linear alkyl or alkenyl radical having 7 to 21 C atoms, and/or (a2) dicarboxylic acids and/or (a3) dimer fatty acids and/or (a4) oligomer fatty acids and/or (a5) hydroxy fatty acids (b) a polyol component which is chosen from oligoglycerols or alkoxylates of oligoglycerols wherein the additive comprising oligoglycerol fatty acid esters is present in amounts of from about 1 to about 10 wt. %, based on the total weight of the mud.