As oil and gas drilling activity in Latin America moves toward more complex wells (e.g. horizontal, high-angle or S-shaped), identifying and implementing operational solutions to improve performance will continue to be important. Reducing friction and torque can lead to such improvements, such as better directional steering, faster drilling, and faster and easier running of casing. Many operators in Latin America use non-aqueous drilling fluids, for which there are limited options to increase lubricity further. Other operators utilize water-based fluids due to their improved environmental and economic profile. With water based fluids, the need for novel additives that improve lubricity is pressing. Current methods for reducing downhole friction generally involve reactive addition of lubricant products that are broadly acting and may present challenges such as adversely affecting rheology of the fluid system, or dissipating or degrading over time. To address these challenges, a method for encapsulating lubricant oil has been developed that selectively delivers a highly effective concentration of lubricant at areas of high shear, pressure, and friction. Encapsulated drilling lubricants have been used in over 40 wells in North and South America in both aqueous and non-aqueous systems. Performance improvements observed have evidenced their value.