Sonatrach: geography and layout
It operates Hassi Messaoud, Algeria's largest oil field, and the Hassi R'Mel field south of Algiers, plus other fields such as Tin Fouye Tabankort, Zarzaitine and Haoud Berkaoui, mostly in the Saharan interior.
Sonatrach · IECEx
IECEx Smartphone for Sonatrach
In February 2022 Sonatrach signed a contract to build a 150,000 cubic metre LNG storage tank at the Skikda gas export terminal, adding a new cryogenic storage area to the coastal complex. It covers exploration and production, pipeline transport, liquefaction and separation, refining and petrochemicals, and marketing, through more than 150 subsidiaries and affiliates. If you are specifying an IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach, 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
WhereSonatrach
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Sonatrach: 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.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach
| 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 | Sonatrach: Pipeline terminals, Oil and gas production facilities, Gas processing | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Algeria
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 Algeria. 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 · Sonatrach
Sonatrach (Societe Nationale pour la Recherche, la Production, le Transport, la Transformation et la Commercialisation des Hydrocarbures) and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Hassi Messaoud oil field
- Hassi R'Mel gas field
- Skikda
- Arzew
Classified areas
- Pipeline terminals
- Oil and gas production facilities
- Gas processing
- LNG liquefaction
Supplier approval · Sonatrach
How suppliers reach Sonatrach
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.
Field notes · Sonatrach
More about Sonatrach that matters for portable equipment
Sonatrach: people and language
Around 2002 Sonatrach was reported to employ roughly 120,000 workers and produce about 30% of Algeria's national output, so it is by far the dominant industrial employer.
Sonatrach: climate and equipment wear
A 10 MWp photovoltaic plant was announced in November 2021 in the Hassi Berkine basin to supply oil sites in the region, an indication of how remote and sun-exposed the Saharan fields are.
Sonatrach: infrastructure
The Hassi R'Mel to Skikda and El Kala gas pipeline is 48 inches in diameter and links the Hassi R'Mel gas field to the Skikda export area on the Mediterranean coast.
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 Sonatrach. Sonatrach works with international contractors across its fields, plants and terminals, and visiting teams often carry equipment already assessed under the IECEx scheme. A certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions let those teams and Sonatrach reviewers compare one device against the same marking and limits. The IS-04Z1 is targeted at IECEx, but nothing has been issued yet.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach
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 · Sonatrach
Frequently asked questions
Can Sonatrach buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an IECEx smartphone for Sonatrach 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 Sonatrach approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; 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.
Which Sonatrach sites would need intrinsically safe phones?
Typical Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas are found at wellheads, gas treatment and compression plants at Hassi Messaoud and Hassi R'Mel, pipeline stations, and the LNG and liquids terminals at Arzew and Skikda. Classification is site-specific, so ask the facility for area drawings before choosing devices.
How do suppliers get approved by Sonatrach?
Sonatrach and its subsidiaries manage their own procurement, typically through registration, tenders and technical evaluation, and joint ventures with international partners may add their own requirements. There is no public approved list, so confirm the current route with the relevant Sonatrach entity.
How should a handset be checked before use at Hassi Messaoud or Hassi R'Mel?
Ask for the certificate, schedule of conditions and marking, and compare them with the zone and gas group in the site's classification documents. Contractor induction and permit rules also apply. The IS-04Z1 is still in certification, so confirm current requirements with Sonatrach's procurement and HSE teams before any evaluation unit is taken on site.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Sonatrach, and on other places in Algeria.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for SonatrachSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for SonatrachSame place, different guide
Algeria market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AlgeriaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Sonatrach
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Sonatrach, Algeria
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 · Sonatrach
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Sonatrach?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.