OQ: background
OQ traces back to Oman Refinery Company (1982) and Oman Oil Company (1996), and took its present form in 2019 when Oman Oil Company merged with the refining and petrochemical company Orpic.
OQ · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone for OQ
The Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is a joint venture announced in 2017 between OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International, with construction of the refinery starting in 2018. Its refining arm, OQ Refineries and Petroleum Industries, runs the Sohar and Mina Al Fahal refineries, and OQ is a partner in the Duqm refinery joint venture (OQ8). This page explains what to look for in an IECEx smartphone for OQ, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
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
WhereOQ
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for OQ: 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx smartphone for OQ
| 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 | OQ: Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants, Fuel and crude storage terminals | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Oman
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 Oman. 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 · OQ
OQ Group and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Sohar
- Mina Al Fahal (Muscat)
- Duqm (OQ8 joint venture with Kuwait Petroleum International)
Classified areas
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Fuel and crude storage terminals
Supplier approval · OQ
Supplier registration at OQ
OQ reports more than 13,000 registered vendors and suppliers and has a Vendors page on its website; confirm current registration and equipment approval 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 · OQ
More about OQ that matters for portable equipment
OQ: projects and investment
The Sohar Refinery Improvement Project began construction in 2014, and the 2018 programme also included groundwork for the Salalah LPG and Salalah Ammonia projects.
OQ: projects and investment
OQ held a 40 per cent share in the Khazzan gas field until 2018, when it sold 10 per cent of that stake to Petronas, and it also signed concessions with Occidental that year.
OQ: industry on the ground
OQ is wholly owned by the Government of Oman through the Oman Investment Authority and works in energy infrastructure, refining, petrochemicals, oil marketing and power, across 17 countries.
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 OQ. OQ's refineries and the Duqm joint venture bring international partners and contractors who tend to hold IECEx documents. They look for a certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions. IECEx is a target for the IS-04Z1 and remains in progress, so treat it as a planned route and not an approval already held.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for OQ
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 · OQ
Frequently asked questions
Can OQ 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 OQ cost?
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.
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 OQ approve suppliers?
OQ reports more than 13,000 registered vendors and suppliers and has a Vendors page on its website; confirm current registration and equipment approval 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.
Which OQ locations most often need Zone 1 rated mobile devices?
Typically the refinery process areas at Sohar and Mina Al Fahal, petrochemical and polymer plants, the LPG and ammonia facilities at Salalah and the large crude and product terminals. OQ or the site operator issues the area classification, so request the hazardous-area drawing before specifying equipment.
How does the Duqm refinery joint venture affect equipment suppliers?
The Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Complex is a joint venture between OQ and Kuwait Petroleum International, so contractors may deal with the joint venture company rather than OQ directly. Ask the project or operating team who issues site access and equipment approvals before shipping devices.
Does OQ's Duqm joint venture follow the same approval route?
Not necessarily. Duqm is a 50:50 joint venture, so its operating company may have its own procurement and HSE rules. Confirm the operating entity and its requirements. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, and SAMS has appointed no distributor for Oman.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for OQ, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for OQSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for OQSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PDOElsewhere in Oman
Oman market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for OmanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · OQ
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for OQ, Oman
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · OQ
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for OQ?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.