SOCAR: projects and investment
SOCAR has explored the Umid and Bulla Deniz gas fields and signed a 2014 agreement for the shallow-water Absheron Peninsula area, so offshore gas development continues near Baku.
SOCAR · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Smartphone for SOCAR
SOCAR is Azerbaijan's fully state-owned oil and gas company, founded in 1992 and based in Baku. It runs upstream, midstream, downstream and marketing divisions, with Caspian Sea and onshore production, refining at the Heydar Aliyev refinery in Baku and petrochemicals at Sumgayit. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for SOCAR, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
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
WhereSOCAR
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for SOCAR: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. 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 SOCAR
| 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 | SOCAR: Offshore production platforms, Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Azerbaijan
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 Azerbaijan. 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 · SOCAR
State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR): operations and where an Ex phone fits
A short profile of its operations and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Sites and areas
- Baku (Heydar Aliyev refinery)
- Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli offshore complex (SOCAR holds a stake)
- Sumgayit petrochemicals (Azerikimya)
- STAR refinery, Izmir, Turkiye
Classified areas
- Offshore production platforms
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Gas processing
Supplier approval · SOCAR
How suppliers reach SOCAR
SOCAR's website has a dedicated procurement section covering procurement notices, standards and pre-qualification requirements; suppliers follow the process published there. 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 · SOCAR
More about SOCAR that matters for portable equipment
SOCAR: background
SOCAR was created on 13 September 1992 by merging Azerineft State Concern and the Azerneftkimiya Production Association, and it is headquartered in Baku as a fully state-owned company.
SOCAR: geography and layout
Azerbaijan has 57 oil fields, 18 of them offshore in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, and much of SOCAR's revenue comes from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli complex and the Shah Deniz gas field.
SOCAR: industry on the ground
SOCAR operates two oil refineries, including the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery, and one gas processing plant; the Azerneftyagh refinery processes 21 of the 24 grades of Azerbaijani crude.
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 SOCAR. A SOCAR procurement or HSE reviewer would look for a certificate of conformity, a schedule of conditions and a legible marking before a handset reaches the Baku refinery, Sumgayit petrochemicals or Caspian platforms. Dual ATEX and IECEx evidence suits a company working with international partners on offshore fields. The IS-04Z1 is in certification and no certificate has been issued.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for SOCAR
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 · SOCAR
Frequently asked questions
Can SOCAR buy the IS-04Z1 today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for SOCAR cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
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 SOCAR approve suppliers?
SOCAR's website has a dedicated procurement section covering procurement notices, standards and pre-qualification requirements; suppliers follow the process published there.
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.
Do international partners set separate equipment rules at Caspian projects?
Often yes. Large offshore fields are run through production sharing agreements with international partners, and the operating company normally applies its own HSE and approved-equipment requirements. Identify the operator of each site and ask it for its certification and contractor requirements.
What language is expected in documentation for Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijani is the national language and English is widely used in international joint ventures, so documentation is often accepted in English for engineering review, with local-language instructions needed for workers. Confirm with SOCAR or the operating company which language their approval process requires.
Does a phone for Sumgayit petrochemical plants need a different marking from a refinery?
Possibly. Petrochemical areas can involve gas groups needing IIC, while fuel areas may involve IIA or IIB, so compare the device marking with each area's classification. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, still unissued. Ask SOCAR's HSE team for the area documents.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for SOCAR, other places in Azerbaijan, and the pages behind them.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for SOCARSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
Azerbaijan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AzerbaijanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · SOCAR
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for SOCAR, Azerbaijan
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · SOCAR
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for SOCAR?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.