Qatargas: who works there
Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company was established in 1993 to operate and maintain LNG and helium production, and Qatargas Operating Company was formed in July 2005 to build later projects.
Qatargas 3 and 4 started production in November 2010 and January 2011, and Trains 6 and 7 each added 7.8 million tonnes a year, so the Ras Laffan site has many large mega-trains. Its upstream assets are in Ras Laffan and its headquarters are in Doha. If you are specifying an IECEx mobile phone for Qatargas, 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 Qatargas: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | Qatargas: LNG liquefaction trains, Offshore facilities, Onshore gas processing | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Qatar. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
QatarEnergy LNG is part of the QatarEnergy group, whose Supply Management section describes vendor registration through the Mushtaryat Portal (SAP Vendor Code) and a Preferred Manufacturers List; 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.
Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company was established in 1993 to operate and maintain LNG and helium production, and Qatargas Operating Company was formed in July 2005 to build later projects.
Helium is produced at Ras Laffan: the first helium came in August 2005, and Ras Laffan Helium 2, inaugurated in 2013, is described as the largest plant of its kind in the world.
Qatargas was set up in 1984 as a joint venture with ExxonMobil and others. Its first three LNG trains, each designed for 3.3 million tonnes a year, were built in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
QatarEnergy LNG, formerly Qatargas, produces about 77 million tonnes of LNG a year from seven ventures, and has its headquarters in Doha with its upstream assets at Ras Laffan.
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Qatargas. The company describes 14 LNG trains at Ras Laffan, a scale that draws international EPCs, shutdown contractors and visiting specialists. For them IECEx documentation is a common reference. A reviewer should read the certificate of conformity with the schedule of conditions. The IS-04Z1 is designed for IECEx, but certification is still in progress.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
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.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
QatarEnergy LNG is part of the QatarEnergy group, whose Supply Management section describes vendor registration through the Mushtaryat Portal (SAP Vendor Code) and a Preferred Manufacturers List; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
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.
Each venture or operating company at Ras Laffan can maintain its own induction, permit and equipment rules on top of the industrial city's general requirements. Ask the specific venture's HSE team for its procedures, because a device accepted at one train may still need approval at another.
Qatargas now trades as QatarEnergy LNG, and its ventures are run by operating companies under QatarEnergy. Supplier registration and equipment approval remain with the organisation concerned, so confirm the current registration route and contact point through its procurement and HSE teams instead of relying on older Qatargas contacts.
Only if the final certificate, gas group and temperature class suit the offshore area and the operator permits it. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but has no certificate yet. Offshore connectivity and charging also need planning, so ask the operator's HSE team.
More on Qatargas, and on other places in Qatar.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.