PPL: projects and investment
PPL also holds interests in partner-operated producing fields, including the Qadirpur, Sawan and Miano gas fields and the Tal, Nashpa and Gambat blocks, alongside its own operated fields.
PPL · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Smartphone for PPL
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) is a Karachi-headquartered exploration and production company, 67.51 per cent government owned, best known for the Sui gas field in Balochistan. It also operates fields such as Kandhkot, Mazarani and Chachar. If you are specifying an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for PPL, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicATEX and IECEx
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WherePPL
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PPL: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · ATEX and IECEx
Checklist: ATEX and IECEx smartphone for PPL
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Marking | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 on the rating plate | Design target; not yet marked |
| EU-type examination certificate | Notified body number and certificate ID | In progress with TÜV; not issued |
| IECEx certificate of conformity | Number listed on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | PPL: Gas wellheads and gathering, Gas processing and compression plants, Condensate handling | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Pakistan
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Pakistan. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The organisation · PPL
Pakistan Petroleum Limited and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Sui (Balochistan)
- Kandhkot
- Mazarani
- Adhi
Classified areas
- Gas wellheads and gathering
- Gas processing and compression plants
- Condensate handling
Supplier approval · PPL
Becoming an approved supplier to PPL
PPL runs an e-procurement portal (eprocurement.ppl.com.pk) through which tenders are issued and bids submitted; confirm vendor registration steps with its support team. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
Field notes · PPL
More about PPL that matters for portable equipment
PPL: industry on the ground
Bolan Mining Enterprises, an equal joint venture with the Balochistan government, runs a 50,000 tonnes-a-year grinding mill at Khuzdar that supplies barytes to oil companies in Pakistan, adding a mineral-dust workplace.
PPL: who works there
The Sui gas field, discovered in 1952, is the company's flagship project and is in a depletion phase, with PPL as operator holding 100% of both Sui and Kandhkot.
PPL: projects and investment
In December 2019 the company announced new oil and gas discoveries in Sindh and Balochistan, so new well sites and gathering facilities are being added in both provinces.
The term · ATEX and IECEx
What “ATEX and IECEx” means for a smartphone
ATEX is the European legal framework for equipment used in explosive atmospheres (Directive 2014/34/EU). IECEx is the international certification scheme built on the IEC 60079 standards. Buyers outside Europe often ask for both: an IECEx certificate is the technical evidence most national regimes build on, while ATEX is the legal route into the European market.
For the IS-04Z1 both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and neither certificate has been issued. The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: equipment Group II (surface industry), Category 2 (Zone 1 gas), protection concept ib (intrinsic safety), gas group IIC and temperature class T4.
In PPL. A PPL reviewer working on the Sui gas field or Kandhkot would expect certificate evidence that names the model and the marking, rather than a statement of intent. Contractors from other countries may hold ATEX or IECEx evidence, so a dual route helps them compare. The IS-04Z1 programme is in progress and no certificate exists.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for PPL
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · PPL
Frequently asked questions
Can PPL buy the IS-04Z1 today?
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
What does an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for PPL cost?
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Is the IS-04Z1 ATEX and IECEx certified?
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
How does PPL approve suppliers?
PPL runs an e-procurement portal (eprocurement.ppl.com.pk) through which tenders are issued and bids submitted; confirm vendor registration steps with its support team.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
How do suppliers approach PPL?
PPL buys through its own procurement department, normally by tender and vendor registration, with technical review by the operating asset. Confirm the current process and certification requirements directly with PPL's procurement before offering equipment.
How does desert heat affect phones used at Sui or Kandhkot?
Both areas are hot and dry, with high summer temperatures and dust. Handheld devices should have a suitable operating temperature range, good dust protection and a battery that tolerates heat, and the site can confirm its own limits and any restrictions on devices in direct sun.
Would the phone be suitable for gas fields in Balochistan and Sindh?
The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but a final decision depends on the certificate, the gas group and the area classification at each field. Heat, dust and distance from charging points should be planned for. No certificate has been issued yet, so ask PPL's HSE team.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for PPL, other places in Pakistan, and the pages behind them.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for PPLSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for PPLSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PPLSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PPLSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for OGDCLElsewhere in Pakistan
Pakistan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for PakistanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PPL
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PPL, Pakistan
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · PPL
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PPL?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.