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 Supplier 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. OQ's subsidiary Oman Tank Terminal Company began building a crude oil storage terminal near Ras Markaz in 2017, a remote coastal site with large tank farms and marine loading. This page sets out how an intrinsically safe mobile phone supply route to OQ will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
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
WhereOQ
Short answer. An intrinsically safe mobile phone for OQ 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. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. 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
OQ Group: 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
- 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 · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for OQ
There is no stock to order for OQ 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 · OQ
Frequently asked questions
Can OQ buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an intrinsically safe mobile phone for OQ cost?
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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 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.
How will SAMS supply OQ?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
What should I check for devices used at coastal Omani terminals?
Coastal terminals such as Ras Markaz combine heat, salt-laden air and dust, so check the ingress protection rating, corrosion resistance of the enclosure and the operating temperature range, in addition to the gas group and temperature class. Confirm any marine or terminal-specific requirements with the terminal operator.
Does OQ run one procurement route for all of its companies?
OQ is a group with several operating companies, joint ventures and terminals, and each can apply its own site rules. Check with the procurement and HSE team of the specific OQ company, such as the refining or terminal business, for current supplier registration and equipment approval steps.
Does Oman's climate affect a handset used at LPG storage?
Summer heat, humidity and dust are routine, and Salalah has a monsoon season. IP68 sealing helps with dust and water but is not explosion protection. Check the datasheet temperature range, test battery life locally, and ask OQ's HSE team how portable devices are charged and kept near LPG areas.
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 Supplier for OQSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for OQSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone 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
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · OQ
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for OQ?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.