The ability to effectively use mineral resources is the key to the sustainable development of industry in modern conditions of environmental protection. High-quality bentonites are rarely found in nature, so technologies for improving the quality of clay powders are quite relevant today. The article considers the possibility of improving the quality of clays obtained from candidate quarries for the purpose of further use as components of drilling fluids. The filtration and rheological characteristics of drilling fluids obtained on the basis of activated clay powder were also investigated by Benta Limited Liability Company.