Sonangol: who works there
Sonangol P and P, founded in 1992, is the group's prospecting and production subsidiary, and in December 2013 the group acquired exploration rights to five onshore oil blocks.
Sonangol is Angola's state-owned oil and gas company, headquartered in Luanda. Since the National Oil, Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANPG) took over regulatory functions in 2019, Sonangol operates as a commercial company with upstream, midstream and downstream activities, including the 65,000 barrel-per-day Luanda refinery. Buyers searching for an IECEx smartphone supplier for Sonangol can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An IECEx smartphone for Sonangol 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Sonangol: Offshore production platforms, Refinery process units, Fuel storage and distribution depots | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Angola. 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.
Sonangol runs a Supplier Portal (Portal de Fornecedores) for registration, pre-qualification and qualification; pre-registration is completed through the suppliers section of its website and is free. 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.
Sonangol P and P, founded in 1992, is the group's prospecting and production subsidiary, and in December 2013 the group acquired exploration rights to five onshore oil blocks.
The group created subsidiaries for services it needed, including telecommunications, trucking, shipping, data management, engineering and seismic work, so many site contractors are Sonangol affiliates.
Economic growth in 2025 was reported to have eased partly because of scheduled inspections and maintenance shutdowns in the oil sector, showing that planned shutdown periods affect activity.
Angola LNG made its first shipment in June 2013, and in 2022 a New Gas Consortium took a final investment decision on the Quiluma and Maboqueiro gas fields to keep gas flowing to the plant.
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 Sonangol. Offshore Angola attracts international operators, service companies and EPCs, many of which already use equipment assessed under the IECEx scheme. A certificate of conformity with its schedule of conditions gives a Sonangol team and a visiting contractor the same document to review. The IS-04Z1 is being taken towards IECEx, but no certificate exists yet.
There is no stock to order for Sonangol yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, certification is in progress, and supply will run through authorised distributors after the certificates are issued. Procurement teams can prepare now with the datasheet, the certification schedule and a safe-area evaluation.
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.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Sonangol runs a Supplier Portal (Portal de Fornecedores) for registration, pre-qualification and qualification; pre-registration is completed through the suppliers section of its website and is free.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
The group is described as a parastatal that formerly oversaw petroleum and gas in Angola, and its structure has been reorganised over time. Supplier registration contacts can therefore change, so confirm the current entity and procurement process directly with Sonangol before submitting documents.
Angola's coast is hot and humid, with salt air offshore and at Luanda and Cabinda. For handheld devices look for strong ingress protection, corrosion resistance and a suitable temperature range, and ask the platform or terminal about its own environmental limits.
The protection concept is similar, but the area classification documents differ for each facility, so compare the marking with each one. Platforms also add salt, humidity and limited connectivity. The IS-04Z1 is still in certification, so confirm current requirements with Sonangol's supplier and HSE teams.
More on Sonangol, and on other places in Angola.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.