SOCAR: projects and investment
SOCAR has explored the Umid and Bulla Deniz gas fields and signed a 2014 agreement for the shallow-water Absheron Peninsula area, so offshore gas development continues near Baku.
SOCAR · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for SOCAR
SOCAR is Azerbaijan's fully state-owned oil and gas company, founded in 1992 and based in Baku. It runs upstream, midstream, downstream and marketing divisions, with Caspian Sea and onshore production, refining at the Heydar Aliyev refinery in Baku and petrochemicals at Sumgayit. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe mobile phone for SOCAR, 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
WhereSOCAR
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for SOCAR: 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 SOCAR
| 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 | SOCAR: Offshore production platforms, Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Azerbaijan
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 Azerbaijan. 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 · SOCAR
State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR): operations and where an Ex phone fits
A short profile of its operations and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Sites and areas
- Baku (Heydar Aliyev refinery)
- Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli offshore complex (SOCAR holds a stake)
- Sumgayit petrochemicals (Azerikimya)
- STAR refinery, Izmir, Turkiye
Classified areas
- Offshore production platforms
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
- Gas processing
Supplier approval · SOCAR
How suppliers reach SOCAR
SOCAR's website has a dedicated procurement section covering procurement notices, standards and pre-qualification requirements; suppliers follow the process published there. 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 · SOCAR
More about SOCAR that matters for portable equipment
SOCAR: background
SOCAR was created on 13 September 1992 by merging Azerineft State Concern and the Azerneftkimiya Production Association, and it is headquartered in Baku as a fully state-owned company.
SOCAR: geography and layout
Azerbaijan has 57 oil fields, 18 of them offshore in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, and much of SOCAR's revenue comes from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli complex and the Shah Deniz gas field.
SOCAR: industry on the ground
SOCAR operates two oil refineries, including the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery, and one gas processing plant; the Azerneftyagh refinery processes 21 of the 24 grades of Azerbaijani crude.
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 SOCAR. Turnarounds and daily rounds at refinery process units, petrochemical plants and gas processing areas call for photographing, tag reading and permit paperwork in the field. A handheld designed as intrinsically safe could carry that on one device. The IS-04Z1 is designed for such work, with certification still in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for SOCAR
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 · SOCAR
Frequently asked questions
Can SOCAR 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 intrinsically safe mobile phone for SOCAR cost?
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.
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 SOCAR approve suppliers?
SOCAR's website has a dedicated procurement section covering procurement notices, standards and pre-qualification requirements; suppliers follow the process published there.
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.
Do international partners set separate equipment rules at Caspian projects?
Often yes. Large offshore fields are run through production sharing agreements with international partners, and the operating company normally applies its own HSE and approved-equipment requirements. Identify the operator of each site and ask it for its certification and contractor requirements.
What language is expected in documentation for Azerbaijan?
Azerbaijani is the national language and English is widely used in international joint ventures, so documentation is often accepted in English for engineering review, with local-language instructions needed for workers. Confirm with SOCAR or the operating company which language their approval process requires.
Does a phone for Sumgayit petrochemical plants need a different marking from a refinery?
Possibly. Petrochemical areas can involve gas groups needing IIC, while fuel areas may involve IIA or IIB, so compare the device marking with each area's classification. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, still unissued. Ask SOCAR's HSE team for the area documents.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for SOCAR and for Azerbaijan.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for SOCARSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for SOCARSame place, different guide
Azerbaijan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for AzerbaijanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · SOCAR
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for SOCAR, Azerbaijan
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · SOCAR
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for SOCAR?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.