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 · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone for KOC
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. Its main fields include Burgan, Magwa, Ahmadi, Raudhatain, Sabriya and Minagish. If you are specifying an IECEx smartphone for KOC, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
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 topicIECEx
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereKOC
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for KOC: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
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.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx smartphone for KOC
| 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 | 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 and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
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
Supplier registration at 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: 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.
KOC: industry on the ground
KOC holds the sole rights to explore for, produce and develop oil and gas inside Kuwait, so one operator sets site practice across all of its fields. It is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
KOC: projects and investment
Kuwait's stated goal is to lift oil production capacity to 4 million barrels a day by 2040; output was roughly 2.4 million barrels a day in 2024 against sustainable capacity of about 2.9 million.
The term · IECEx
What “IECEx” means for a smartphone
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 KOC. KOC works with international service companies and contractors who commonly hold IECEx paperwork. For them the evidence is a certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions. IECEx is a target for the IS-04Z1 and remains in progress, so KOC reviewers should treat it as a planned route and not an approval already held.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for KOC
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · KOC
Frequently asked questions
Can KOC buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an IECEx smartphone for KOC cost?
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.
Does the IS-04Z1 hold an IECEx certificate?
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
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.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Do I need KOC approval before supplying handheld devices for its fields?
Supplier guides indicate that KOC expects registered, approved status on its supplier portal before bids or purchase orders, and classified-area equipment is normally checked against the operator's own HSE and electrical rules. Confirm the current registration steps and equipment approval route directly with KOC procurement and HSE.
Is approval with KOC accepted by other Kuwait Petroleum Corporation companies?
KOC is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, but supplier guides say each KPC company keeps its own vendor database and criteria, so registration with one does not carry over automatically. KOC status is often viewed as a quality signal elsewhere in the group; verify each company's requirements separately.
Will desert heat and dust affect a handheld in the field?
Both are severe in summer. IP68 sealing helps against dust, but batteries lose capacity in heat, so keep spares in shade and charge in safe areas. IP68 is not explosion protection. Check the datasheet temperature range and trial devices at a well pad before committing to a fleet.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for KOC, other places in Kuwait, and the pages behind them.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for KOCSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere 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
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · KOC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for KOC?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.