Norway: background
Statoil built petrochemical processing plants at Rafnes and, with Norsk Hydro, at Mongstad in 1980, and became operator on the Gullfaks field in 1981, the first Norwegian company to do so.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, from a wet deck in the northern North Sea to a winter round on the Barents coast. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof mobile phone for Norway, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Norway: 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.
| 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 | Norway: Stavanger and Sola, Bergen and Flesland, Kårstø | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Norway. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Norway market guide covers.
Statoil built petrochemical processing plants at Rafnes and, with Norsk Hydro, at Mongstad in 1980, and became operator on the Gullfaks field in 1981, the first Norwegian company to do so.
North Sea oil was discovered in Norwegian waters in the late 1960s, and oil and gas exports have since become a central part of the Norwegian economy, with a mature and well-developed offshore supply chain.
Mongstad in Vestland county has Norway's largest refinery at about 12 million tonnes of crude a year, a crude terminal with 9.5 million barrels of storage, and Norway's biggest port by tonnage.
Most of Norway's electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants, so dams, tunnels and power stations are a separate type of industrial site alongside oil and gas.
“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 Norway. Offshore crews say explosion proof, but concepts differ. Flameproof Ex d suits fixed equipment on a platform, while the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, Ex ib. That suits a handset carried on a wet deck or through processing at Kårstø, Kollsnes and Nyhamna, where one person moves through many areas in a shift.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
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.
The market guide for Norway covers Stavanger and Sola, Bergen and Flesland, Kårstø, Kollsnes, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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.
Winters are cold and offshore conditions are wet, windy and salt-laden, so check the lowest rated ambient temperature, the water ingress rating and touch operation with gloves. Cold reduces battery capacity, so spare batteries and warm storage are typically recommended.
Stavanger is the headquarters of Equinor and a hub for offshore supply, while processing plants such as Mongstad and Rafnes were built by Statoil and Norsk Hydro. Gas terminals and refineries are along the west coast. Confirm current operations with the operator.
Android 16 with EMM and MDM is designed so a device can be wiped, re-enrolled and reissued to the incoming crew, including from the beach before the helicopter. Your own telecoms policy decides how that is done, so agree the process with your IT team before deployment.
More on Norway, and on other places in Norway.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.