Help with gounded conductor

Found this on a foreclosure today - This grounded conductor is attached to the hose bid, gas pipe below in pic but wire goes into dirt, not to a ground rod or the gas pipe. This is on front of house, elec supply and main box on side of house, well at back of house. Did not see ground wire coming back up out of dirt at supply - will call it out but loioking for other thoughts.

Did you dig around a little to see if there is a rod down there

Well, if you call it out, be sure and call it the “grounding electrode conductor,” because it’s certainly isn’t a “grounded conductor.”

GEC](http://www.naffainc.com/x/CB2/Elect/250-81.htm) Information

Yes, I dug into the dirt as far as I could (20 degrees outside and lots of frozen ground) could not find a ground rod - thats why I asked for help - wire goes somewhere -

I would still guess it was to a ground rod but there are also plate electrodes and ground rings in the code, although you seldom see them in 1&2 family.
Of course it could just be going to nothing.

Thanks for the help - wrote it up as a possible concern -just looked strange -