NATIONAL OIL CORPORATION

GENERAL ENGINEERING SPECIFICATION

GES J.17

EARTHING OF INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS

Rev Date Description Checked Approved

0 1999 Issued for Implementation DL

Compiled by Teknica (UK) Ltd

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INDEX

SEC TITLE PAGE

1.0 SCOPE OF SPECIFICATION 3

1.1 Introduction 3
1.2 Other NOC Specifications 3

2.0 DEFINITIONS 3

2.1 Technical 3
2.2 Contractual 4

3.0 DESIGN 4

3.1 Codes and Standards 4

3.2 Earthing (Grounding) Philosophy 5
3.3 Earth Bars 6
3.4 Safety Earth System 7
3.5 Instrument Earth and IS Earth Systems 8

4.0 INSTALLATION 10

5.0 TESTING AND INSPECTION 11

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1.0 SCOPE OF SPECIFICATION

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 This specification covers the minimum requirements for the design, material selection, installation,
inspection and testing of instrument earth systems.

1.1.2 The Vendor/Contractor shall comply fully with the provisions laid down in this specification. Any
exception must be authorised in writing by the Owner.

1.1.3 In the event of any conflict between this specification and any applicable codes and standards, the
Vendor/Contractor shall inform the Owner and receive written clarification before proceeding with the
work.

1.2 Other NOC Specifications

The following NOC General Engineering Specifications are an integral part of this specification, and
any exceptions shall be approved in advance by the Owner.

GES B.01 Central Control Buildings

GES J.12 Indoor Control Panels and Cabinets

GES J.13 Field Panels and Junction Boxes

GES L.25 Grounding and Overvoltage Protection

2.0 DEFINITIONS

2.1 Technical

The technical terms used in this specification are defined as follows:

Earthing/Grounding

For the purpose of this specification, the terms earth and ground are synonymous and may be
interchanged as required.

Bonding

The permanent joining of metallic parts to form an electrically conductive path.

Instrument Earth (Clean ground)

Instrument earth is an earth connection provided to ensure that all components of a measuring/control
system are referenced to the same potential thus minimising the possibility interference (noise) on the
signal lines. The instrument earth is isolated from other earths other than at the final connection to the
plant earth to allow testing.

IS Earth (IS ground)

IS earth is an earth connection to provide a low impedance earth path for intrinsically safe cicuits in
accordance with the requirements of the equipment certification and applicable standards.

The IS earth is isolated from other earths other than at the final connections to the to the plant earth.
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Plant Earth (Plant ground)

Plant earth is an earth connection which is directly linked to the plant earthing system. This may be an
earth grid, the neutral of the supply transformer, or a combination of both.

Safety Earth (Dirty equipment/protective ground)

Safety earth is an earth connection provided for the protection of plant and personnel against electrical
faults, static electricity and lightning strikes. The safety earth is sized to allow the correct operation of
protective equipment.

2.2 Contractual

The commercial terms used in this specification are defined as follows:

Owner

The oil and gas company, an associate or subsidiary, who is the end user of the equipment and
facilities.

Vendor

The company supplying the equipment and material.

Contractor

The main contractor for a defined piece of work.

Sub-Contractor

A company awarded a contract by a contractor to do part of the work awarded to the contractor.

Inspection Authority

The organisation representing the Owner or Vendor/Contractor that verifies that the equipment and
facilities have been designed, constructed, inspected and tested in accordance with the requirements of
this specification and the Purchase Order/Contract.

Inspector

A qualified individual representing the Owner, Vendor/Contractor or the assigned Inspection

Authority, who verifies that the equipment and facilities have been designed, constructed, inspected
and tested in accordance with the requirements of this specification and the Purchase Order/Contract.

3.0 DESIGN

3.1 Codes and Standards

3.3.1 The earthing design shall comply with this specification and the following codes and standards.
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3.3.2 Unless specified otherwise in the Purchase Order/Contract, the current editions of the codes and
standards at the time of the order shall be used.

American Petroleum Institute (API)

API RP 550 Manual on Installation of Refinery Instruments and Control Systems - Part 1
Section 7: Transmission Systems (being rewritten)

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

ANSI C39.5 Safety Requirements for Electrical and Electronic Measuring and Controlling
Instrumentation

British Standards Institution

BS 1433 Specification for Copper for Electrical Purposes - Rod & Bar

BS 5345 Code of Practice for Selection, Installation and Maintenance of Electrical

(All Parts) Apparatus for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres

BS 7430 Code of Practice for Earthing

BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations

Canadian Standards Institute (CSI)

CSA C22.1 Canadian Electrical Code - Safety Standard for Electrical Installations

C22.2-157 Intrinsically Safe and Non-incendive Equipment for Use in Hazardous Locations

Instrument Society of America (ISA)

ISA RP 12.6 Wiring Practices for Hazardous (Classified) Locations Instrumentation -

Part 1: Intrinsic Safety

Nation Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

NFPA 493 Intrinsically Safe Apparatus

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

IEEE 142 Recommended Practice for Grounding of Industrial and Commercial Power
Systems

3.2 Earthing (Grounding) Philosophy

3.2.1 General

(a) Instrument earth systems shall be provided to:

- minimise the hazards to personnel and equipment resulting from electrical faults,
lightning discharges and static electricity;

- reduce the effects of electrical interference on the signal lines of instruments;

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- to limit the energy transmitted to equipment located in hazardous areas (intrinsically safe
systems).

(b) The instrument earth system shall be made up from three independent sub-systems:

- A safety earth, to ensure that no significant impressed potentials exist on metallic

enclosures which would create a hazard to personnel and equipment.

- An instrument earth system, to ensure that all points within measuring or logical systems
are referenced to the same potential.

The following shall be connected to the instrument earth system:

- non IS cable screens;

- 0 Volt of signals for non-floating, non IS circuits (DC signal common);
- spare cores in non IS cables;
- DC power supply reference.

- An Intrinsic Safety (IS) earth system (if required), where the IS method of protection for
instruments in hazardous areas is used, to ensure that safety barriers can be connected to a
high integrity, low impedance earth required by intrinsically safe systems.

The following shall be connected to the IS earth system:

- IS cable screens;
- spare cores in IS cables;
- Zener barrier earths.

(c) As it is often difficult to obtain the specified earth resistance value throughout the year as soil
conditions may vary, a soil survey shall be undertaken to determine the resistance to earth value.
If required, a dedicated ground rod system with ground well, shall be provided. Depending on the
soil condition three rods delta connected or an earth mat shall be used. A project specific
grounding system detail shall be developed for Owner's approval.

3.3 Earth Bars

(a) All earth bars shall be fabricated from high conductivity, hard worked drawn copper in accordance
with or equivalent to the requirements of BS 1433.

(b) Panel cabinet earth bars shall have a cross section of 1 in x ¼ in (25 mm x 5 mm), and building
earth bars shall have a cross section of 1½ in x ½ in (35 mm x 10 mm).

(c) The bars shall include sufficient studs for the independent connection of each earth. The studs
shall be a minimum size of _ in (M 10).

(d) The lengths of the bars shall be such that at least 25% spare space complete with studs, nuts and
washers is included on each bar for future use.

(e) The interconnection of earth bars shall be by means of solderless connections (e.g. bolted lug type
connectors). The connectors shall be sized for the conductor diameter with only one conductor in
each connector.

3.4 Safety Earth System

3.4.1 Field Mounted Instruments, Junction Boxes and Local Control Panels

(a) All instruments, junction boxes and local control panels with metallic bodies shall have an
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external earth stud to allow connection of the body to a local earth.

(b) Where the instrument is supported on stands by "U" type clamps or socket mounting, the external
earth stud shall be connected to the plant earth via the mounting stand earth stud.

(c) The earth connections shall be made using 12 AWG (2.5 mm2) minimum cross section conductors.

(d) Where flange mounted instruments are used, earthing may be achieved by the use of serrated
spring washers on the fixing bolts. In hazardous areas, a separate earth connection shall be
provided from the internal/external earth stud to a local earth.

(e) Where glands are fitted to a tapped hole or where serrated washers are used in fitting glands to a
clearance hole in a metal box, additional earth connections between glands or between glands and
equipment are optional.

(f) Where non-metallic bodies are used, the earthing of internal metalwork shall be achieved via the
cable armouring or by connection to the gland plates. Gland plates shall be provided with earth
studs to link all gland plates to a local earth.

(g) Compression type cable glands shall be used to ensure a good electrical connection between the
gland and the cable armouring without degrading the ingress protection capability of the
enclosure.

(h) Metallic local control cabinet doors or hinged junction box covers shall be connected to the
cabinet or junction box by means of flexible (braided) earth straps.

3.4.2 Control Room Equipment

(a) The control room shall contain a main plant earth bar and one or more safety earth bars. The
control room safety earth bar(s) shall be directly connected to the plant earth bar. The connecting
earth cable shall be of sufficient cross section to allow electrical protective devices to operate
rapidly, and adequately sized not to be damaged by the fault. A 2 AWG (35 mm2) minimum cross
section conductor shall be used.

(b) Each cabinet containing electrical equipment, shall be fitted with a safety earth bar for connection
to the plant safety earth. The cabinet safety earth bar shall be electrically continuous with the
cabinet metal. All external metallic components shall be securely connected to the earth bar.

(c) All items of equipment within consoles and cabinets with a supply of more than 50 volts shall be
individually earthed to the cabinet safety earth bar.

(d) The armouring of cable entering control room mounted cabinets shall be stripped back to the cable
glands (where fitted) or to a point external to the cabinets. Where cable glands are not fitted, the
armouring shall be clamped. The gland grounding tags or armour clamps shall be connected to the
cabinet earth bar using a 12 AWG (2.5 mm2) cross section conductor. Cable armouring shall be
insulated from shielding throughout the cable run.

(e) Each cabinet earth bar shall be directly connected to the control room safety earth bar by dual
conductors.

(f) Each earth conductor shall be of sufficient cross section to allow the electrical distribution
protective devices to operate rapidly, and be adequately rated not to be damaged by the fault
current. As a guide, it may be taken that the safety earth cable minimum cross section may be
made in accordance with the following table.

Table 1. Safety Earth Cable CSA

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Cross Sectional Area of Supply Conductor (X) Cross Sectional Area of Earth Conductor
X < 5 AWG (16 mm2) Same size as supply conductor

5 AWG (16 mm2) < X < 2 AWG (35 mm2) 5 AWG (16 mm2)
X > 2 AWG (35 mm2) X/2

(g) The colour of safety earth connector sheathing shall be green/yellow.

(h) Cabinet and panel doors shall be positively connected to the cabinet by means of flexible (braided)
earth straps.

3.4.3 Cable Trays and Ladders

(a) All individual components of a cable ladder and tray within an area shall be interconnected by
means of propriety straps or by 10 AWG (6 mm2) earth conductors.

(b) The cable racks and trays shall be bonded to steelwork at approximately 80 ft (25 m) intervals and
at the ends of the runs.

3.5 Instrument Earth and IS Earth System

3.5.1 Instrument Cable Screens

(a) The cable screens of each instrument loop shall be electrically continuous and earthed at one point
only at the control room.

(b) The cable screens shall be insulated from all earths other than at the single connection point. For
non-IS loops, the earth connection shall be to the instrument earth and for IS loops to the IS earth.

(c) Field instruments, junction boxes and local control panels shall include terminal facilities for the
termination of cable screens. The termination points shall be isolated from the earth.

(d) Cables shall be made off and glanded so that there is no possibility of short circuits between the
screen/drain wire and the cable armour or gland body.

(e) Cable screens for non-earthed field instruments shall be connected to the cabinet instrument earth
bar in the control room.

(f) Where the instrument design requires the screen to be earthed at a local earth point, this shall be
done at the first junction box after the instrument. The screen shall be segregated and insulated
from other screen connections.
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3.5.2 Control Room Cabinets

(a) Each instrument field cable terminating cabinet shall be fitted with an instrument earth and if
required an IS earth bar for the connection of the cable screens and other instrument earth
connections. The earth bars shall be isolated from the cabinet metal by insulators with a minimum
spacing of 2 in (50mm) from the cabinet frame. The instrument earth and IS earth shall be
separate from and insulated from safety earth.

(b) The control room shall contain one or more instrument earth bars and IS earth bars if required.
The control room instrument earth bar(s) and IS bar(s) shall be directly connected to the main
plant earth bar using dual 2 AWG (35 mm2) conductors.

(c) Each cabinet instrument earth bar and IS bar shall be sized to allow for the individual connection
of each screen drain wire and other connections.

(d) Each cabinet instrument earth bar shall be individually and directly connected to a control room
instrument earth bar using dual 4 AWG (16 mm2) conductors. Cabinet IS earth bar shall be
connected similarly, to a control room IS earth bar.

(e) All spare cores of multicore cables shall be individually terminated on terminals. The terminals
shall be linked, with one terminal being connected to the cabinet instrument earth bar or IS bar
depending on the type of cable (non-IS or IS cable).

(f) The "shield" connection of amplifiers, etc., shall be connected to the cabinet instrument earth bar.

(g) The 0 volt line of non-isolated instrument power supplies shall be connected to the cabinet
instrument earth bar.

(h) The colour of instrument earth connector sheathing shall be green.

(i) Each end of the cable shall be clearly labelled with the function of the cable.

(j) The earthing of screens, signal wiring and 24 volt power supplies for the following
instrumentation systems shall take into consideration the manufacturer's recommendations for
earthing such systems and shall be approved by the Owner:

- process control/display systems;

- fiscal flow metering systems;

- gas detection systems;

- telemetery panels;

- computer systems;

- grounded thermocouple systems.

3.5.2 Intrinsically Safe Barrier Systems

(a) IS loops shall be segregated from other loops, run in independent cables, and preferably through
dedicated junction boxes.
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(b) Zener barrier installations normally include a barrier earth bar per set of barriers. The barrier earth
bars shall be directly connected to the cabinet IS earth bar using a minimum of dual
12 AWG ( 4 mm2) conductors.

(c) The use of floating power supplies with barrier systems shall be avoided due to the occurance, of
possible earth faults. The preferred system shall be two channel barriers with an earthed 24 volt
supply. The earth point of the 24 volt supply shall be the IS earth bar.

(d) Galvanically isolated barrier sets need not include a barrier earth bar. The cable screens and spare
cores of cables connected to galvanically isolated barriers shall be earthed to the IS cabinet earth
bar.

(e) The impedance between the barrier earth bar and the plant earth shall be less than one ohm,
measured for each leg of the dual circuit.

(f) The colour of IS earth connector sheathing shall be green with blue bands at each end and at
intermediate locations.

(g) Electrical contact between the thermocouple element and pocket or head assembly shall be
prevented by the use of insulating element sheath. When subjected to a test voltage of 500 volts,
the complete thermocouple assembly shall have a greater 10k Ohms resistance. The use of
grounded tip thermocouple shall require the Owner's approval.

4.0 INSTALLATION

(a) Screen drain wires of non-IS cables shall be fitted with insulating green heat shrink sleeves. For IS
cables the greeen heat shrink sleeves shall have blue bands.

(b) IS earth conductors shall have additional blue bands permanently placed at each cable marker.

(c) Uninsulated wires, e.g. screen drain wires shall be covered by yellow/green striped sleeves. These
shall be blue banded for IS services.

(d) IS earth bars shall be marked with blue paint or tape at each end of the bar.

(e) Instrument and IS earth bars shall be fitted with protective plastic covers to prevent unauthorised
connections.

(f) All terminations shall be thoroughly cleaned and free from paint, grease, dirt, etc., before making
the earth connection. Terminations on steelwork shall be sealed with copper grease.

(g) All ground fittings, i.e. studs, nuts, washers, etc., shall be made from brass.

(h) Each earth bar shall be identified by a label made from laminated plastic. The character shall have
a minimum height of ½ in (12 mm) minimum and shall be BLACK characters on white
background for the safety and instrument earth bars, and BLUE characters on white background
for IS earth bars.

(i) The labels shall have the following engraving:

- SAFETY EARTH

NO UNAUTHORISED CONNECTIONS OR DISCONNECTIONS

- INSTRUMENT EARTH
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NO UNAUTHORISED CONNECTIONS OR DISCONNECTIONS

- INTRINSICALLY SAFE EARTH

NO UNAUTHORISED CONNECTIONS OR DISCONNECTIONS

(j) Earthing cables shall be installed so that they remain accessible without removing cables for other
services.

(k) Earth bars shall be installed such that there is ample space around them with adequate access for
testing purposes.

(l) Direct contact of dissimilar metals should be avoided as far as possible. Where contact is
unavoidable suitable proprietary compounds shall be used to prevent electrolytic action and at the
same time allow conduction. The compound shall be silicone free.

5.0 TESTING AND INSPECTION

(a) The control room earth systems shall be tested before the connection of external components, e.g.
cable screens, barrier bars and instrument shields.

(b) All connections shall be visually and mechanically checked for tightness, shrouding and
identification.

(c) All systems shall be tested for continuity from the cabinet earth to the plant earth. Measurements
shall be taken for each leg in the dual system. The loop impedance of each leg shall be better than
1 ohm.

(d) The instrument and IS earth shall be disconnected from the plant earth and the isolation of the
systems from the plant earth shall be checked. This shall be carried out using a tester operating at
500 V (double check that barriers, etc., have been disconnected).

(e) A visual check shall be carried out on the earth and screen connections on all field instruments,
junction boxes and local panels. Continuity measuring instruments suitable for use in hazardous
areas shall be used.

(f) When all checks are complete, the screens, barrier bars and instruments shall be connected.

(g) Earth continuity of cable tray and ladder sections shall be tested.

(h) The Owner shall witness tests on the IS system's earthing in accordance with the procedures
detailed in BS 5345 Part 4, concerning insulation and continuity.