PetroSA: geography and layout
PetroSA is headquartered in Cape Town, while its main gas fields lie offshore about 89 km from Mossel Bay on the South Coast, so field and plant work are in different places.
PetroSA · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PetroSA
PetroSA is South Africa's state-owned oil and gas company, a subsidiary of CEF SOC Limited. It owns the Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids refinery and the offshore FA platform and gas fields of the Bredasdorp Basin that fed it. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe mobile phone for PetroSA, 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
WherePetroSA
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PetroSA: 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 PetroSA
| 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 | PetroSA: Gas-to-liquids process units, Offshore platforms, Gas and condensate handling | Classified by the site operator |
Product · South Africa
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 South Africa. 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 · PetroSA
Working with The Petroleum, Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA): 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
- Mossel Bay GTL refinery
- FA production platform
- Bredasdorp Basin gas fields (F-A and E-M)
Classified areas
- Gas-to-liquids process units
- Offshore platforms
- Gas and condensate handling
Supplier approval · PetroSA
Becoming an approved supplier to PetroSA
PetroSA lists a supplier procurement portal on its website (procurement.petrosa.com); 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 · PetroSA
More about PetroSA that matters for portable equipment
PetroSA: rules and approvals
In 2020 the Cabinet approved merging PetroSA with the Strategic Fuel Fund and iGas to form a new national petroleum company, so organisational names and contacts may change; check the current entity.
PetroSA: industry on the ground
Its gas-to-liquids refinery at Mossel Bay has a capacity of about 45,000 barrels a day and converts gas and condensate into liquid fuels and chemicals, a process plant with gas and liquid hazards.
PetroSA: background
PetroSA was formed in January 2002 by merging Mossgas, Soekor and parts of the Strategic Fuel Fund Association, and was launched by President Thabo Mbeki 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 PetroSA. Inspection rounds on GTL process units and gas and condensate handling suit a handheld designed for intrinsic safety, if its certificate allows use there. On the offshore FA platform and Bredasdorp Basin gas fields, access is by transport arranged by the operator. Plant status and permits at Mossel Bay are PetroSA's to confirm.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for PetroSA
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 · PetroSA
Frequently asked questions
Can PetroSA 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 PetroSA 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 PetroSA approve suppliers?
PetroSA lists a supplier procurement portal on its website (procurement.petrosa.com); 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.
Is PetroSA's structure changing, and does that matter to suppliers?
The Cabinet approved a merger of PetroSA with the Strategic Fuel Fund and iGas in 2020 to form a new national petroleum company. Supplier registration details and contacts can change with such restructuring, so confirm the current legal entity and procurement portal before submitting any documents.
Who regulates exploration activity that PetroSA operates offshore?
The Petroleum Agency of South Africa regulates onshore and offshore oil and gas exploration. It does not certify handheld equipment itself, so Ex certification questions are normally handled through the operator's own standards and South African electrical and mine or plant safety rules. Confirm requirements with PetroSA.
Where do suppliers register with PetroSA?
The sheet says PetroSA lists a supplier procurement portal on its website, procurement.petrosa.com. Registration and equipment approval requirements should be confirmed with PetroSA's procurement and HSE teams, as they may change. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, so it cannot be offered as certified equipment.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for PetroSA and for South Africa.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PetroSASame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PetroSASame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PetroSASame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for PetroSASame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SasolElsewhere in South Africa
South Africa market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for South AfricaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PetroSA
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PetroSA, South Africa
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · PetroSA
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PetroSA?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.