Sonangol: projects and investment
Angola LNG made its first shipment in June 2013, and in 2022 a New Gas Consortium took a final investment decision on the Quiluma and Maboqueiro gas fields to keep gas flowing to the plant.
The group created subsidiaries for services it needed, including telecommunications, trucking, shipping, data management, engineering and seismic work, so many site contractors are Sonangol affiliates. Since the National Oil, Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANPG) took over regulatory functions in 2019, Sonangol operates as a commercial company with upstream, midstream and downstream activities, including the 65,000 barrel-per-day Luanda refinery. Buyers searching for an explosion proof smartphone supplier for Sonangol can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An explosion proof smartphone for Sonangol 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.
| 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 | Sonangol: Offshore production platforms, Refinery process units, Fuel storage and distribution depots | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Angola. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of its operations and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Sonangol runs a Supplier Portal (Portal de Fornecedores) for registration, pre-qualification and qualification; pre-registration is completed through the suppliers section of its website and is free. 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.
Angola LNG made its first shipment in June 2013, and in 2022 a New Gas Consortium took a final investment decision on the Quiluma and Maboqueiro gas fields to keep gas flowing to the plant.
Angola produces roughly 1.1 million barrels a day, mostly from offshore deep-water and ultra-deep-water fields using floating production storage and offloading vessels, while older shallow-water platforms rely on ageing infrastructure.
A 200,000 barrel-a-day refinery at Lobito, with Sonangol planned to hold 70%, has been proposed but much delayed, so check current project status before assuming new refinery work.
Sonangol was instituted as a state-owned company by Directive 52/76 in 1976 to manage Angola's petroleum industry, after earlier fuel and lubricant assets had been nationalised and merged into it.
“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 Sonangol. On offshore platforms and at the Luanda refinery, people often say 'explosion-proof' for any approved gear. In practice, flameproof Ex d enclosures protect fixed equipment, while intrinsic safety limits the energy of a portable device. For a handheld phone used on a platform deck or in refinery process units, intrinsic safety is the concept the IS-04Z1 is designed around.
There is no stock to order for Sonangol 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.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
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.
Sonangol runs a Supplier Portal (Portal de Fornecedores) for registration, pre-qualification and qualification; pre-registration is completed through the suppliers section of its website and is free.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
The group is described as a parastatal that formerly oversaw petroleum and gas in Angola, and its structure has been reorganised over time. Supplier registration contacts can therefore change, so confirm the current entity and procurement process directly with Sonangol before submitting documents.
Angola's coast is hot and humid, with salt air offshore and at Luanda and Cabinda. For handheld devices look for strong ingress protection, corrosion resistance and a suitable temperature range, and ask the platform or terminal about its own environmental limits.
The protection concept is similar, but the area classification documents differ for each facility, so compare the marking with each one. Platforms also add salt, humidity and limited connectivity. The IS-04Z1 is still in certification, so confirm current requirements with Sonangol's supplier and HSE teams.
Other guides for Sonangol, other places in Angola, and the pages behind them.
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.