Spudcans are the base cones on mobile-drilling

jack-up A jackup rig or a self-elevating unit is a type of mobile platform that consists of a buoyant hull fitted with a number of movable legs, capable of raising its hull over the surface of the sea. The buoyant hull enables transportation of the unit ...

platform. These inverted cones are mounted at the base of the jack-up and provide stability to lateral forces on the jack-up rig when deployed into ocean-bed systems. Important calculations for spudcan design include the response to vertical, horizontal and torsional forces on the jack-up leg.

References

* Vlahos, Cassidy and Byrne, The behaviour of spudcan footings on clay subjected to combined cyclic loading. Report OUEL 2286/05

Oil platforms