Drilling apparatus and method

摘要

The invention provides an apparatus and method for handling drilling fluids during a subsea drilling operation. The method comprises providing a body at a subsea well site and receiving drilling fluid and entrained solids into the chamber from a wellbore at the subsea well site. Drilling fluid and entrained fluids are processed at the subsea well site to break up and/or fluidise the entrained solids by operating at least one cutting pump, which also functions to pump the processed drilling fluid and entrained solids from an outlet to a return conduit. The processed drilling fluid and entrained solids are conveyed to surface by pumping the drilling fluid and entrained solids through the return conduit.