EGPC: industry on the ground
Its business includes crude oil exploration, refining and storage, lubricants and greases production and services for oil and gas projects, so hazardous areas include refineries, depots and blending plants.
EGPC is Egypt's national oil company, established in 1956 and headquartered in Cairo, under the Ministry of Petroleum. It covers exploration, refining and storage, and nearly all of Egypt's refining companies are its subsidiaries. This page sets out how an IECEx mobile phone supply route to EGPC will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An IECEx mobile phone for EGPC 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | EGPC: Refinery process units, Crude oil production and storage, Fuel storage and loading | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Egypt. 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.
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; 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.
Its business includes crude oil exploration, refining and storage, lubricants and greases production and services for oil and gas projects, so hazardous areas include refineries, depots and blending plants.
In 2020 EGPC announced plans to license about 60 new fuel stations and invest 379 million Egyptian pounds in fuel stations and warehouse storage, adding retail and storage sites.
The corporation reported about 2,000 employees in 2018, so much of the operational workforce works for its subsidiaries and joint-venture companies rather than EGPC itself.
EGPC owns 70% of the Egyptian Natural Gas Company and 75% of Petroleum Air Services, with the remaining 25% held by Bristow Group, which supports remote and offshore crew transport.
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 EGPC. Egypt's refinery modernisation draws international EPCs and licensors, many of whom use IECEx documents. A certificate of conformity with its schedule of conditions gives EGPC reviewers and these contractors a shared reference. The IS-04Z1 is designed for IECEx, still in progress. EGPC subsidiaries run the refineries themselves.
Nothing can be bought for EGPC today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
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.
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.
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.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
EGPC is the state parent corporation, but day-to-day operation is usually carried out by its subsidiaries and by joint-venture operating companies. Equipment requirements therefore depend on the specific refinery or field company, so identify the operating company and ask its procurement and HSE teams.
Western Desert sites are hot, dry and dusty, while Suez Gulf and Mediterranean sites are humid with salt air. For handheld devices look for high temperature rating, dust and water ingress protection and corrosion resistance, and confirm each operator's environmental requirements.
Not necessarily. Each refinery, such as El-Nasr, Mostorod or Assiut, has its own process units and classification documents, so compare the marking with the one for the exact site. The IS-04Z1 is not yet certified. Confirm with EGPC's procurement and HSE teams.
Related guides for EGPC and for Egypt.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.