🔍 Key Concepts
• Difference between preload, variable load, basic load, and fixed load on a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) load form
• How sea water in preload tanks behaves when operations change (can it be added/removed during normal operations?)
• Which items on a stability/load form are considered constant versus changeable during a voyage/drilling operation
💭 Think About
• Ask yourself: After the preload is dumped, is the remaining sea water something that can still be routinely changed like fuel or ballast, or is it treated as a more permanent item for stability purposes?
• Think about why preload water is used in jack‑up operations in the first place. Once you finish preloading, how is the residual water intended to be treated in the stability calculations?
• On a MODU load form, which category is used for things that can be varied for each operation (cargo, fuel, consumables) versus things that are expected to remain essentially constant (structural weights, permanent tanks, etc.)?
✅ Before You Answer
• Verify what the MODU stability booklet or load line/stability manual says about definitions of preload, variable load, basic load, and fixed load
• Check which category on the load form is used for permanent or near‑permanent liquids that are normally carried but not constantly adjusted as part of daily variable load
• Confirm whether the amount of sea water left in the preload tanks is expected to change frequently during normal operations or is assumed to remain onboard for stability calculations