Sonatrach: geography and layout
It operates Hassi Messaoud, Algeria's largest oil field, and the Hassi R'Mel field south of Algiers, plus other fields such as Tin Fouye Tabankort, Zarzaitine and Haoud Berkaoui, mostly in the Saharan interior.
Sonatrach · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Smartphone for Sonatrach
Sonatrach is Algeria's state-owned national hydrocarbons company, established in 1963. It covers exploration and production, pipeline transport, liquefaction and separation, refining and petrochemicals, and marketing, through more than 150 subsidiaries and affiliates. If you are specifying an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach, 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
WhereSonatrach
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Sonatrach: 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. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · ATEX and IECEx
Checklist: ATEX and IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach
| 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 | Sonatrach: Oil and gas production facilities, Gas processing, LNG liquefaction | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Algeria
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 Algeria. 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 · Sonatrach
Sonatrach (Societe Nationale pour la Recherche, la Production, le Transport, la Transformation et la Commercialisation des Hydrocarbures): 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
- Hassi Messaoud oil field
- Hassi R'Mel gas field
- Skikda
- Arzew
Classified areas
- Oil and gas production facilities
- Gas processing
- LNG liquefaction
- Refinery process units
Supplier approval · Sonatrach
How suppliers reach Sonatrach
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. 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 · Sonatrach
More about Sonatrach that matters for portable equipment
Sonatrach: people and language
Around 2002 Sonatrach was reported to employ roughly 120,000 workers and produce about 30% of Algeria's national output, so it is by far the dominant industrial employer.
Sonatrach: climate and equipment wear
A 10 MWp photovoltaic plant was announced in November 2021 in the Hassi Berkine basin to supply oil sites in the region, an indication of how remote and sun-exposed the Saharan fields are.
Sonatrach: infrastructure
The Hassi R'Mel to Skikda and El Kala gas pipeline is 48 inches in diameter and links the Hassi R'Mel gas field to the Skikda export area on the Mediterranean coast.
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 Sonatrach. A Sonatrach procurement or HSE reviewer would want to see the certificate of conformity, the schedule of conditions and the equipment marking for any handset taken into Hassi Messaoud, Hassi R'Mel, Skikda or Arzew. Holding both ATEX and IECEx evidence would help international contractors and EPCs moving between these sites. The IS-04Z1 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach
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 · Sonatrach
Frequently asked questions
Can Sonatrach buy the IS-04Z1 today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does an ATEX and IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach 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 Sonatrach approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
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.
Which Sonatrach sites would need intrinsically safe phones?
Typical Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas are found at wellheads, gas treatment and compression plants at Hassi Messaoud and Hassi R'Mel, pipeline stations, and the LNG and liquids terminals at Arzew and Skikda. Classification is site-specific, so ask the facility for area drawings before choosing devices.
How do suppliers get approved by Sonatrach?
Sonatrach and its subsidiaries manage their own procurement, typically through registration, tenders and technical evaluation, and joint ventures with international partners may add their own requirements. There is no public approved list, so confirm the current route with the relevant Sonatrach entity.
How should a handset be checked before use at Hassi Messaoud or Hassi R'Mel?
Ask for the certificate, schedule of conditions and marking, and compare them with the zone and gas group in the site's classification documents. Contractor induction and permit rules also apply. The IS-04Z1 is still in certification, so confirm current requirements with Sonatrach's procurement and HSE teams before any evaluation unit is taken on site.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Sonatrach, other places in Algeria, and the pages behind them.
IECEx Mobile Phone for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for SonatrachSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Algeria market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AlgeriaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Sonatrach
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Sonatrach, Algeria
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 · Sonatrach
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Sonatrach?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.