This paper conducts comparison and visual analysis of the published literature about drilling fluid from 2000 to 2019, and reviews the research fields, research institutions, etc. on the basis of Web of Science with the research hotspots in drilling fluids analyzed by Citespace. The results show that the publications on drilling fluids have been increasing in the past 20 years, and the United States takes lead in the number of publications with a total of 1,803 papers each cited 22.06 times, indicating its influence. China contributes a total of 1,586 articles on drilling fluids, but its academic level is insufficient. Engineering and energy fuels are the key research areas of drilling fluids. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering is the most authoritative journal in the field of drilling fluids and is widely recognized by the academic community.