OQ: projects and investment
The Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is a joint venture announced in 2017 between OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International, with construction of the refinery starting in 2018.
OQ · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Smartphone Supplier for OQ
OQ is an Omani integrated energy group wholly owned by the Government of Oman and part of the Oman Investment Authority, created in 2019 when Orpic merged with Oman Oil Company. Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company was created in 2007 by merging Oman Refinery Company with Sohar Refinery Company, bringing the Mina Al Fahal and Sohar refineries under one operator. This page sets out how an ATEX and IECEx smartphone supply route to OQ will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
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
RouteSupply
WhereOQ
Short answer. An ATEX and IECEx smartphone for OQ cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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 OQ
| 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 | OQ: Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants, Fuel and crude storage terminals | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Oman
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 Oman. 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 · OQ
OQ Group and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Sohar
- Mina Al Fahal (Muscat)
- Duqm (OQ8 joint venture with Kuwait Petroleum International)
Classified areas
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Fuel and crude storage terminals
Supplier approval · OQ
Becoming an approved supplier to OQ
OQ reports more than 13,000 registered vendors and suppliers and has a Vendors page on its website; confirm current registration and equipment approval 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 · OQ
More about OQ that matters for portable equipment
OQ: infrastructure
OQ's subsidiary Oman Tank Terminal Company began building a crude oil storage terminal near Ras Markaz in 2017, a remote coastal site with large tank farms and marine loading.
OQ: industry on the ground
As of June 2023 OQ was producing more than 246,000 barrels of oil a day from its upstream interests, in addition to its downstream plants.
OQ: background
OQ traces back to Oman Refinery Company (1982) and Oman Oil Company (1996), and took its present form in 2019 when Oman Oil Company merged with the refining and petrochemical company Orpic.
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 OQ. An OQ reviewer would expect certificate evidence before a handheld enters refinery process units or LPG facilities at Sohar, Mina Al Fahal or Salalah. International contractors and EPCs work across OQ projects, so a dual ATEX and IECEx route lets one product answer both families of paperwork. The IS-04Z1 is in certification and no certificate exists.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for OQ
Supply of the IS-04Z1 to OQ starts only after certification, through authorised distributors. Until then a buyer can request the datasheet and the written certification schedule, and arrange a safe-area evaluation unit, which puts the site on the list for the right local channel at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · OQ
Frequently asked questions
Can OQ 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 OQ 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 OQ approve suppliers?
OQ reports more than 13,000 registered vendors and suppliers and has a Vendors page on its website; confirm current registration and equipment approval requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
How will SAMS supply OQ?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
What should I check for devices used at coastal Omani terminals?
Coastal terminals such as Ras Markaz combine heat, salt-laden air and dust, so check the ingress protection rating, corrosion resistance of the enclosure and the operating temperature range, in addition to the gas group and temperature class. Confirm any marine or terminal-specific requirements with the terminal operator.
Does OQ run one procurement route for all of its companies?
OQ is a group with several operating companies, joint ventures and terminals, and each can apply its own site rules. Check with the procurement and HSE team of the specific OQ company, such as the refining or terminal business, for current supplier registration and equipment approval steps.
Does Oman's climate affect a handset used at LPG storage?
Summer heat, humidity and dust are routine, and Salalah has a monsoon season. IP68 sealing helps with dust and water but is not explosion protection. Check the datasheet temperature range, test battery life locally, and ask OQ's HSE team how portable devices are charged and kept near LPG areas.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for OQ and for Oman.
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for OQSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PDOElsewhere in Oman
Oman market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for OmanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · OQ
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for OQ, Oman
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 · OQ
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for OQ?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.