The methods of suspending at least one weighting agent in a drilling fluid include synthesizing carbon nanotubes via chemical vapor deposition on iron oxide catalyst nanoparticles to form a quantity of nanoparticles. Individual nanoparticles of the iron oxide catalyst nanoparticles include a transition metal disposed on iron oxide. The embodiments further include adding a quantity of nanoparticles to the drilling fluid which results in an amount of carbon nanotubes dispersed within the drilling fluid. The dispersion of the quantity of nanoparticles increases the value of at least one of a Newtonian viscosity, a yield point, a plastic viscosity, and a density of the drilling fluid with the dispersed nanoparticles versus a similar or equivalent drilling fluid without the nanoparticle dispersion. The method may further include adding at least one weighting agent which will become suspended in the drilling fluid.