KOC: rules and approvals
According to supplier guides, a company usually needs approved status on KOC's eBusiness portal before it can receive tender invitations or purchase orders. Check the current process with KOC itself.
KOC · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for KOC
Kuwait Oil Company is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and holds the sole rights to explore for, produce and develop oil and gas in Kuwait. KOC produces Kuwait Export Crude and Kuwait Super Light Crude, and is developing heavy crude from the Lower Fars formation, which usually means more heated and pressurised handling than light oil. Buyers searching for an intrinsically safe mobile phone supplier for KOC can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
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
RouteSupply
WhereKOC
Short answer. An intrinsically safe mobile phone for KOC 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.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe mobile phone for KOC
| 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 | KOC: Oil and gas production facilities, Wellheads and well pads, Gathering and processing facilities | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 · KOC
Kuwait Oil Company and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Ahmadi
- Raudhatain
- Sabriya
- Minagish
Classified areas
- Oil and gas production facilities
- Wellheads and well pads
- Gathering and processing facilities
Supplier approval · KOC
How suppliers reach KOC
KOC runs an eBusiness portal that lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers; advanced features are for registered business partners. 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 · KOC
More about KOC that matters for portable equipment
KOC: projects and investment
In late 2023 KOC launched its first offshore drilling campaign in decades, placing rigs in the Gulf to look for new oil and gas reserves, which adds marine-type hazardous-area work to a mainly onshore business.
KOC: infrastructure
In May 2024 KOC and the Ministry of Electricity and Water announced plans for a 1 gigawatt solar project, to be built and run by a selected operator under a long-term power purchase agreement.
KOC: industry on the ground
KOC holds the sole rights to explore for, produce and develop oil and gas inside Kuwait, so one operator sets site practice across all of its fields. It is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.
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 KOC. Field operators drive between well pads and gathering facilities across Burgan, Magwa, Ahmadi, Raudhatain, Sabriya and Minagish, inspecting equipment at each. A handheld intrinsically safe phone lets them photograph wellheads, log readings and report faults on the spot, instead of keeping notes for later. That suits routine rounds and well-intervention support.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for KOC
There is no stock to order for KOC 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.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · KOC
Frequently asked questions
Can KOC 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 KOC 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 KOC approve suppliers?
KOC runs an eBusiness portal that lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers; advanced features are for registered business partners. Confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
How will SAMS supply KOC?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Which KOC work areas typically need Zone 1 rated phones and tablets?
Typically oil and gas wellsites, crude gathering and processing facilities and any new offshore or heavy-oil developments. The area classification drawings are issued by KOC for each facility, so ask for the zone and gas group first and then select the equipment protection level and temperature class to match.
How should devices be specified for Kuwait's summer heat in oil fields?
Summer air temperatures in Kuwait's desert fields typically run well above 40 degrees Celsius, and surfaces in direct sun are hotter still. Check the stated operating, charging and storage temperature ranges on the datasheet, keep devices shaded and out of closed vehicles, and confirm any site limits with the operator.
Does KOC prequalify manufacturers as well as contractors?
Its eBusiness portal lists tenders and handles prequalification of contractors and manufacturers, with advanced features reserved for registered business partners. Ask KOC's procurement team for current requirements. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, and SAMS has appointed no distributor to register on its behalf.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for KOC, other places in Kuwait, and the pages behind them.
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for KOCSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · KOC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for KOC, Kuwait
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · KOC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for KOC?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.