Conversion from Division to Zone electrical classification-why andhow the worlds largest oil company made the change

摘要

The introduction in the late 1990s of the Zone electrical areaclassification concept into North American standards provided thecatalyst for a major international oil company based in Saudi Arabia toconvert from the “Division” to the “Zone” methodof area classification. The company initially relied on North Americanstandards to purchase materials but, over the years, sourcing ofmaterials, and design and construction services gradually shifted awayfrom North America. This required the company to restructure theirstandards and accept materials and installation practices from all overthe world. Today, the company standards accept materials andinstallation techniques from a variety of international sources. TheZone classification system was considered to provide the maximumflexibility and safety in hazardous locations. Therefore, it wasconsidered preferable over the Division system from a cost, safety,maintenance and reliability viewpoint. In late 1999, the company decidedto convert from a Division to Zone Classification system. This paperdiscusses details of why and how the company made the change and theimpact of the migration on electrical and instrumentation installationswithin the company