The Marine Breakaway Coupling is unlike any other equipment used in offshore transfer operations.
1. The performance of an MBC depends on two levels of operation: passive and active.
Passive requires the MBC to remain in its passive state until a defined set of circumstances provokes an Active State. The correct design, specification, construction and management (installation, inspection, servicing and refurbishment) of the MBC therefore depends on extensive in-field experience and collaboration of data that has optimized over time to deliver minimum risk.
Should the MBC Activate when circumstances determine a Passive State then a Spurious Activation has occurred.
A Spurious Activation of an MBC can be costly to an operation: time and monetary costs include resetting of the MBC, operation disruption and delays in transfer.
There is a mechanical reason for a Spurious Activation. This can sometimes affect the successful conclusion of an activation with the consequence of a pollution event.
Active State requires the MBC to activate precisely at the moment and circumstance for which it was designed.
Failure to activate or an incomplete activation can cause damage to assets and considerable pollution. Clean-up costs, delay in operations, repair to assets and damage to reputations and the environment can be considerable.
2. The variables that determine reliable performance of an MBC are extensive
There are many variables contained within the application, operations, transfer, operational environment and management of an MBC. There are many more variables within the range of circumstances that determine the Passive and Active performance of an MBC.
Understanding these variables and how they interact requires extensive experience. Experience that is confirmed with the Field Verified status.
3. Unless an MBC is Field Verified then by definition, the reliable performance of an MBC is unknown.
The parameters of Field Verified have been designed to minimize risk. These parameters are based on over four decades of in-field operational experience.
An MBC that is not Field Verified naturally assumes increased risk in that passive performance cannot be confirmed until the lifecycle of the unit has been completed and active performance is not known until it is required.
In contrast to Field Verified, the unknown performance of an unverified MBC therefore has to be sustained over the operational lifecycle of that MBC.