scope:

General

This document recommends minimum requirements and guidelines for the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems on fixed and floating petroleum facilities located offshore. For facilities classified as Zone 0, Zone 1, or Zone 2, reference API RP 14FZ, Recommended Practice for Design, Installation, and Maintenance of Electrical Systems for Fixed and Floating Offshore Petroleum Facilities for Unclassified and Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2 Locations. These facilities include drilling, producing, and pipeline transportation facilities associated with oil and gas exploration and production. This recommended practice is not applicable to mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) without production facilities. This document is intended to bring together in one place a brief description of basic desirable electrical practices for offshore electrical systems. The recommended practices contained herein recognize that special electrical considerations exist for offshore petroleum facilities. These include the following:

a) the inherent electrical shock possibility presented by the marine environment and steel decks;

b) space limitations that require that equipment be installed in or near hazardous (classified) locations;

c) the corrosive marine environment;

d) motion and buoyancy concerns associated with floating facilities.

This recommended practice applies to both permanent and temporary electrical installations. The guidelines presented herein should provide a high level of electrical safety when used in conjunction with welldefined area classifications. This recommended practice emphasizes safe practices for hazardous (classified) locations on offshore petroleum facilities but does not include guidelines for classification of areas; for guidance on the classification of areas refer to API RP 500.

Applicability of the National Electrical Code

Electrical systems for offshore petroleum facilities shall be designed and installed in accordance with the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2017 edition, except where specific departures are noted.