OQ: who works there
Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company was created in 2007 by merging Oman Refinery Company with Sohar Refinery Company, bringing the Mina Al Fahal and Sohar refineries under one operator.
OQ · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for OQ
OQ is an Omani integrated energy group wholly owned by the Government of Oman and part of the Oman Investment Authority, created in 2019 when Orpic merged with Oman Oil Company. 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 intrinsically safe mobile phone 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 topicintrinsically safe
DeviceMobile Phone
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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe mobile phone for OQ
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| 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
Working with OQ Group: sites and classified areas
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
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
Becoming an approved supplier to 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: 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: 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.
The term · intrinsically safe
What “intrinsically safe” means for a smartphone
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In OQ. Operators at LPG extraction and storage areas and refinery units patrol spheres, pumps and loading points spread across large plants. A handheld intrinsically safe phone allows tag scanning, photographs and defect reports inside the classified area. It would suit turnaround support at Sohar and Mina Al Fahal, where contractors work near live units.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone 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 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 intrinsically safe mobile phone for OQ 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.
What does ‘intrinsically safe’ mean for the IS-04Z1?
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
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
More on OQ, and on other places in Oman.
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 OQSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier 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
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 · 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.