▎ 摘　　要

NOVELTY - Stabilizing shales while drilling a wellbore into an earthen formation, comprises circulating a wellbore fluid into the wellbore while drilling through shales, where the wellbore fluid comprises a graphene-based material comprising graphene, graphene oxide, chemically converted graphene, and derivatized graphite oxide, and the grapheme-based material is present in a sufficient weight percent to stabilize the shales. USE - The method is useful for stabilizing shales while drilling a wellbore into an earthen formation. ADVANTAGE - The wellbore fluid reduces potential problems encountered when drilling through shales such as with dispersion of shales, cuttings accretion and agglomeration, cuttings build up, bit balling, and hole cleaning. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for: (1) a wellbore fluid, comprising a base fluid, and a graphene-based material, where the surface of the graphene-based material is functionalized with at least one of carboxyl groups, amines, quaternary amines, ethoxylated ethers, propoxylated ether, glycol derived groups, polyglycol, polyvinyl alcohol, silanes and/or silane oxides; and (2) reducing permeability damage in an earthen formation, comprising circulating a wellbore fluid while drilling through shales, where the graphene-based material is present in a sufficient weight percent to reduce the permeability of the shales.