KOC: background
Kuwait Oil Company was set up on 23 December 1934 as a joint venture between the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and Gulf Oil. Drilling began in 1936, and the Burgan field first struck oil in 1938.
KOC · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Smartphone Supplier for KOC
According to supplier guides, a company usually needs approved status on KOC's eBusiness portal before it can receive tender invitations or purchase orders. Check the current process with KOC itself. Its main fields include Burgan, Magwa, Ahmadi, Raudhatain, Sabriya and Minagish. This page sets out how an explosion proof smartphone supply route to KOC 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 topicexplosion proof
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSupply
WhereKOC
Short answer. An explosion proof smartphone for KOC 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.
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 KOC
| 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 | KOC: Oil and gas production facilities, Wellheads and well pads, Gathering and processing facilities | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 · KOC
Kuwait Oil Company: 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
- Sabriya
- Minagish
- Burgan
- Magwa
Classified areas
- Oil and gas production facilities
- Wellheads and well pads
- Gathering and processing facilities
Supplier approval · KOC
How suppliers reach KOC
KOC runs an eBusiness portal that lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers; advanced features are for registered business partners. 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 · KOC
More about KOC that matters for portable equipment
KOC: projects and investment
In late 2023 KOC launched its first offshore drilling campaign in decades, placing rigs in the Gulf to look for new oil and gas reserves, which adds marine-type hazardous-area work to a mainly onshore business.
KOC: infrastructure
In May 2024 KOC and the Ministry of Electricity and Water announced plans for a 1 gigawatt solar project, to be built and run by a selected operator under a long-term power purchase agreement.
KOC: industry on the ground
KOC produces Kuwait Export Crude and Kuwait Super Light Crude, and is developing heavy crude from the Lower Fars formation, which usually means more heated and pressurised handling than light oil.
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 KOC. Around desert oilfields explosion-proof is a general phrase. Flameproof Ex d protects fixed enclosures at wellheads and gathering facilities, while intrinsic safety suits portable devices. A phone used by operators visiting well pads at Raudhatain or Sabriya is an intrinsic safety question, and the IS-04Z1 is designed around that concept.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for KOC
There is no stock to order for KOC yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, certification is in progress, and supply will run through authorised distributors after the certificates are issued. Procurement teams can prepare now with the datasheet, the certification schedule and a safe-area evaluation.
- 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 · KOC
Frequently asked questions
Can KOC 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 explosion proof smartphone for KOC cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
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 KOC approve suppliers?
KOC runs an eBusiness portal that lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers; advanced features are for registered business partners. Confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
How will SAMS supply KOC?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Which KOC work areas typically need Zone 1 rated phones and tablets?
Typically oil and gas wellsites, crude gathering and processing facilities and any new offshore or heavy-oil developments. The area classification drawings are issued by KOC for each facility, so ask for the zone and gas group first and then select the equipment protection level and temperature class to match.
How should devices be specified for Kuwait's summer heat in oil fields?
Summer air temperatures in Kuwait's desert fields typically run well above 40 degrees Celsius, and surfaces in direct sun are hotter still. Check the stated operating, charging and storage temperature ranges on the datasheet, keep devices shaded and out of closed vehicles, and confirm any site limits with the operator.
Does KOC prequalify manufacturers as well as contractors?
Its eBusiness portal lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers, with advanced features reserved for registered business partners. Ask KOC's procurement team for current requirements. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, and SAMS has appointed no distributor to register on its behalf.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on KOC, and on other places in Kuwait.
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for KOCSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · KOC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for KOC, Kuwait
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · KOC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for KOC?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.