Formation damage control of Hutubi underground gas storage (UGS) presents a serious challenge due to low formation pressure coefficient and reservoir deep invasion of wellbore working fluid under large pressure difference during drilling and completion. Mineral composition analysis, expansion capacity, wettability and permeability reduction after spontaneous imbibition measurement of reservoir rocks were conducted to reveal formation damage mechanism of Hutubi UGS. That is the clay minerals hydrated swell and dispersion of water?sensitive formation and water?blocking effect of tight sand reservoir. Drilling fluid technical countermeasure of improving inhibition, weakening liquid wettability and enhancing temporary plugging was put forward. Amine inhibitor and surfactant ABSN were selected to optimize the current used drilling fluid. Temporary plugging particle size fraction distribution was determined based on the “optimal filling” bridging plugging theory. Laboratory and field evaluation show that the optimized drilling fluid is suitable for perforation and screen pipe completion with a permeability recovery more than 90% and effective inhibition of clay swell. The results provide reference for improving formation damage control effect of depleted gas reservoir drilling and completion.