To diagnose thermal stability based on rotational viscometry data, an integral index for assessing the rheological properties of drilling fluids has been proposed. It is independent of their rheological model under thermobaric conditions of the well. According to the laboratory research of xanthan gum-based biopolymer systems, the possibility of assessing thermal stability in regard to the dependence of the integral index on temperature has been shown. The accuracy of thermal stability assessment has been confirmed by laboratory studies of the Biocar-TF biopolymer system at temperatures up to 170 ℃.