Method for controlling a well in a subsea mudlift drilling system

A method for controlling a subsea well, the method comprising:

• shutting at least one blowout preventer;
• opening at least one isolation line;
• circulating a formation fluid influx out of a well while an inlet pressure of a subsea mudlift pump is adjusted to maintain a drill pipe pressure at a substantially constant initial circulating pressure;
• pumping drilling mud with a kill mud weight from a water surface into the well;
• reducing the drill pipe pressure according to a preselected drill pipe pressure decline schedule until the kill mud weight drilling mud reaches a bottom of the well;
• maintaining the drill pipe pressure at a substantially constant final circulating pressure after the kill mud weight drilling mud reaches the bottom of the well by adjusting the inlet pressure of the subsea mudlift pump;
• and
• circulating the kill mud weight drilling mud from the bottom of the well to the water surface while maintaining the substantially constant final circulating pressure.