OCSNCOE Unit Emblem (silhouettes of a self-elevating MODU, an OSV and an offshore wind turbine over a silhouette of the United States with the U.S. Coast Guard mark (i.e., racing stripe) in the background).Outer Continental Shelf National Center of Expertise (OCSNCOE)

JACK ST. MALO during offshore construction with attending OSV and Floatel VICTORY. C-ENFORCER underway with water cannons flowing. SEVAN LOUISIANA underway when initially entering the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Platform GINA off the California coast. Block Island windfarm with attending CTV. SPARTAN 151 dockside in Seward, AK.

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Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs)

A mobile offshore drilling unit or MODU, as defined in 33 CFR 140.10, is "a vessel, other than a public vessel of the United States, capable of engaging in drilling operations for exploration or exploitation of subsea resources." [emphasis added]

Additional 33 CFR 140.10 definitions that also apply to a MODU include OCS facility (when in contact with the seabed of the OCS for exploration or exploitation of subsea resources), unit and vessel.

Please use the menu to the left or the links provided below to learn about MODUs and the U.S. Coast Guard oversight of these units:

  ○ Types of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units

  ○ Regulations, Policy and Guidance applicable to MODUs

  ○ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)