Question 23 MODU03 - Ballast Control Operator

The Correct Answer is B. The instructions for launching lifeboats and liferafts on a MODU (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit) are a fundamental requirement of safety and operational regulations. In the United States context, these requirements are mandated and enforced primarily by the **U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)**, which holds the regulatory authority for marine safety, including the design, equipment, and operating procedures of MODUs (as codified in Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations, specifically Subchapters I-A and Subchapter T, which govern safety equipment and emergency instructions). **A) lease operator:** The lease operator is responsible for the overall operation of the lease area and often contracts the MODU. While they enforce the regulations, they are not the entity that *establishes* the requirement for the launching instructions; that role belongs to the regulatory body. **C) person-in-charge of the unit:** The person-in-charge (PIC) is responsible for ensuring the instructions are followed and maintained, and that the crew is trained. However, the PIC does not create the regulatory requirement itself. **D) Minerals Management Service:** The Minerals Management Service (MMS) was an agency primarily responsible for the management of mineral resources and environmental compliance on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). While they regulated offshore activities, the primary authority for marine safety, life-saving equipment, and specific procedural instructions for launching lifeboats falls under the purview of the Coast Guard, not the MMS (or its successor agencies, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement).