This disclosure provides compositions suitable as drilling fluids, completion fluids, work-over fluids, or stimulation/fracking fluids, which exhibit shale inhibiting, thermostabilizing, viscosifying, and fluid loss reducing effects when used for these purposes. In some embodiments, this disclosure provides compositions that include a cellulose product comprising the contact product of: at least one cellulosic ether; at least one salt of a polyvalent metal ion; and at least one ligand or a salt of the ligand. The resulting cellulose products are useful in drilling of oil, gas, and other wells.