ONGC: geography and layout
Onshore, ONGC found oilfields in Sivasagar district of Assam in 1963 and established the Cambay basin in Gujarat as a new oil province, giving it long-standing operations in the north-east and the west.
ONGC is India's largest government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer, founded in 1956 and headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC owns and operates over 11,000 km of pipelines and around 230 drilling and workover rigs, so field crews, rig sites and pipeline stations are the main places where portable equipment is used. If you are specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for ONGC, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for ONGC: 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | ONGC: Offshore production platforms, Onshore oil and gas production facilities, Gas processing plants | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in India. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
ONGC buyers register through its e-tender portal (user ID obtained via the new-bidder access authorisation link), and bidders need a digital signature certificate; confirm current rules with ONGC. 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.
Onshore, ONGC found oilfields in Sivasagar district of Assam in 1963 and established the Cambay basin in Gujarat as a new oil province, giving it long-standing operations in the north-east and the west.
ONGC went offshore in the early 1970s and discovered the Bombay High field, now called Mumbai High, which, with later western offshore finds, changed India's oil supply position.
In May 2023 ONGC said it would start oil production in the Krishna Godavari Basin by June, adding new deepwater activity on India's east coast.
In January 2018 ONGC completed the acquisition of a 51.11% stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, so refining and fuel distribution sites are now linked to the ONGC group.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In ONGC. On ONGC platforms and onshore fields people say explosion-proof loosely, but the real protection concepts differ. Flameproof Ex d contains an internal ignition inside a strong housing, while intrinsic safety limits electrical energy so ignition cannot occur. A phone used on Mumbai High decks or in Cambay production areas is normally an intrinsic safety question, and the IS-04Z1 is designed around that concept.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
ONGC buyers register through its e-tender portal (user ID obtained via the new-bidder access authorisation link), and bidders need a digital signature certificate; confirm current rules with ONGC.
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.
Western offshore and Gujarat sites are hot and humid, with a heavy monsoon season, while Assam is very humid and rainy. For handheld devices that means good sealing, corrosion resistance and thermal limits; ask the asset about its environmental requirements.
Typical uses are offshore platforms off Mumbai, onshore well sites and group gathering stations in Assam and Gujarat, and the gas processing plants at Hazira and Uran. Classification is set per installation, so ask each asset's HSE team for area drawings and its rules on portable electronics.
ONGC buyers are reported to register through its e-tender portal, and bidders need a digital signature certificate. That process is separate from product certification. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, so any approach should begin with the datasheet and a safe-area evaluation. Check current rules with ONGC procurement before bidding.
More on ONGC, and on other places in India.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.