Oil-based drilling fluid compositions which include layered double hydroxides as rheology modifiers and amino amides as emulsifiers

A method for making an oil-based drilling fluid composition comprising:

• mixing a base oil, a water-containing component, an emulsifier, and a rheology modifier to form an oil-based drilling fluid composition, where:
• the oil-based drilling fluid composition comprises an oil phase comprising the base oil and an aqueous phase comprising the water;
• the rheology modifier comprises a layered double hydroxide;
• and
• the emulsifier comprises an amino amide having the formula R—CO—NH—R′—NH—R″—NH2.

A method for drilling a subterranean well, the method comprising:

• providing an oil-based drilling fluid composition, where the oil-based drilling fluid composition comprises:
• base oil in an oil phase;
• water in an aqueous phase;
• rheology modifier comprising a layered double hydroxide;
• an emulsifier comprising an amino amide having the formula R—CO—NH—R′—NH—R″—NH2, where R is a fatty acid alkyl group, R′ is an alkyl group, and R″ is an alkyl group;
• and
• one or more additives chosen from wetting agents, fluid-loss control additives, and weighting additives;
• and
• operating a drill in a wellbore in the presence of the oil-based drilling fluid composition.