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 a ...

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