PDO: industry on the ground
PDO delivers the majority of Oman's crude oil production and natural gas supply, making it the dominant operator for onshore exploration and production in the Sultanate.
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is Oman's main oil and gas producer, operating a concession of about 90,000 square kilometres. The Government of Oman holds 60 per cent, Shell 34, TotalEnergies 4 and Partex 2. This page sets out how an IECEx mobile phone supply route to PDO 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 PDO 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. 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 | PDO: Wellheads and flowlines, Gas processing plants, Oil production and gathering stations | Classified by the site operator |

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.
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
Joint Supplier Registration System (JSRS) certification from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals is a prerequisite before suppliers can be qualified by PDO; PDO's website has a Vendor Corner for registration. 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.
PDO delivers the majority of Oman's crude oil production and natural gas supply, making it the dominant operator for onshore exploration and production in the Sultanate.
The first commercially significant oil find came at Yibal in April 1962, followed by Natih in 1963 and Fahud, and the first export cargo left Oman on 27 July 1967.
Supplier guides stress that PDO assesses safety, quality and local value creation when approving vendors, so contractors working in its fields should expect safety induction and local content questions.
Early exploration was slow because supplies had to cross desert and mountain terrain from Duqm to the Jebel Fahud area, a reminder that many PDO fields are still remote from the coast.
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 PDO. IECEx is the route most visiting international contractors know, which matters in a producer whose partners include international energy companies. A reviewer would look for the certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions, then compare the stated gas group, temperature class and equipment protection level with the job. The IS-04Z1 IECEx file is still in progress.
Nothing can be bought for PDO 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.
Joint Supplier Registration System (JSRS) certification from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals is a prerequisite before suppliers can be qualified by PDO; PDO's website has a Vendor Corner for registration.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Interior fields combine high summer heat, fine dust and long distances from workshops, so check the operating temperature range, ingress protection against dust, battery behaviour in heat and the availability of field support. Confirm any site-specific limits with the PDO asset team before deployment.
Supplier guides indicate PDO requires registered, approved vendors before tenders, and assesses safety, quality and local value creation. For classified areas, expect the equipment to be checked against PDO's own HSE and electrical standards. Confirm current registration and approval steps directly with PDO procurement and HSE.
The sheet states that JSRS certification from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals is a prerequisite before PDO can qualify suppliers, and PDO has a Vendor Corner for registration. Confirm the current steps with PDO's procurement team. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch with certification in progress.
Related guides for PDO and for Oman.
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.