OQ: projects and investment
OQ held a 40 per cent share in the Khazzan gas field until 2018, when it sold 10 per cent of that stake to Petronas, and it also signed concessions with Occidental that year.
OQ · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Smartphone 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. 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. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof smartphone for OQ, 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 topicexplosion proof
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereOQ
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for OQ: 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 · explosion proof
Checklist: explosion proof smartphone for OQ
| 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 | 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
Supplier registration at 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: industry on the ground
OQ is wholly owned by the Government of Oman through the Oman Investment Authority and works in energy infrastructure, refining, petrochemicals, oil marketing and power, across 17 countries.
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: 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.
The term · explosion proof
What “explosion proof” means for a smartphone
“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 OQ. At Sohar, Mina Al Fahal and Salalah explosion-proof is everyday shorthand for different concepts. Flameproof Ex d protects fixed motors and enclosures, while intrinsic safety suits handheld phones. LPG extraction and storage bring a flammable gas hazard, so a portable device around those areas is judged on intrinsic safety, which the IS-04Z1 is designed around.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof smartphone for OQ
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 · 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 explosion proof 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 explosion proof or intrinsically safe?
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.
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.
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 OQ locations most often need Zone 1 rated mobile devices?
Typically the refinery process areas at Sohar and Mina Al Fahal, petrochemical and polymer plants, the LPG and ammonia facilities at Salalah and the large crude and product terminals. OQ or the site operator issues the area classification, so request the hazardous-area drawing before specifying equipment.
How does the Duqm refinery joint venture affect equipment suppliers?
The Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is a joint venture between OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International, so contractors may deal with the joint venture company rather than OQ directly. Ask the project or operating team who issues site access and equipment approvals before shipping devices.
Does OQ's Duqm joint venture follow the same approval route?
Not necessarily. Duqm is a 50:50 joint venture, so its operating company may have its own procurement and HSE rules. Confirm the operating entity and its requirements. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, and SAMS has appointed no distributor for Oman.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for OQ, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
IECEx Mobile Phone for OQSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier 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
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · OQ
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for OQ?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.