| Category | Description |
| Barite | A high-grade API barium sulfate specially processed use as a drilling fluid weighting material |
| Bentonite | A material composed of clay minerals, predominantly montmorillonite with minor amounts of other smectite group minerals, commonly used in drilling fluids. |
| Biocides | An additive that kills bacteria. |
| Corrosion Inhibitors | An additive that decreases the corrosion rate of drilling tools. |
| Defoamers | An additive that removes the bubble of drilling fluids. |
| Drilling Polymers | A kind of synthetic polymer that be used in most of drilling fluids. |
| Emulsifiers | An additive that be used in preparation and maintenance of an emulsion mud |
| Filtration Control Agents | An additive that reduces filtration volume of drilling fluids. |
| Flocculants | An additive that causes a dispersed colloidal system to coagulate and form flocs. |
| Foaming Agents | An additive used in preparation of foam used as the drilling fluid. |
| Lost Circulation Materials | An additive that reduces and eventually prevents the flow of drilling fluid into a weak, fractured or vugular formation. |
| Lubricants | An additive that reduces torque and extends drilling bit and drilling tool's life. |
| pH Control Agents | pH Control Agents are an additive which is used to adjust to pH value of drilling fluid according to the drilling fluid requirements. |
| Pipe Freeing Agents / Spotting Fluid | An additive that frees pipe once it has become stuck |
| Shale Inhibitors | An additive that inhibits shale from swelling and sloughing. |
| Surfactants | A material that lowers the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. |
| Thinners | An additive that reduces viscosity of drilling fluids. |
| Viscosifiers | An additive that increases viscosity of drilling fluids. |
| Weighting Materials | An additive that increases density of drilling fluids. |
