PPL: projects and investment
PPL also holds interests in partner-operated producing fields, including the Qadirpur, Sawan and Miano gas fields and the Tal, Nashpa and Gambat blocks, alongside its own operated fields.
PPL · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone for PPL
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) is a Karachi-headquartered exploration and production company, 67.51 per cent government owned, best known for the Sui gas field in Balochistan. It also operates fields such as Kandhkot, Mazarani and Chachar. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for PPL, 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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WherePPL
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PPL: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. 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 smartphone for PPL
| 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 | PPL: Gas wellheads and gathering, Gas processing and compression plants, Condensate handling | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Pakistan
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 Pakistan. 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 · PPL
Pakistan Petroleum Limited and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Sui (Balochistan)
- Kandhkot
- Mazarani
- Adhi
Classified areas
- Gas wellheads and gathering
- Gas processing and compression plants
- Condensate handling
Supplier approval · PPL
Supplier registration at PPL
PPL runs an e-procurement portal (eprocurement.ppl.com.pk) through which tenders are issued and bids submitted; confirm vendor registration steps with its support team. 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 · PPL
More about PPL that matters for portable equipment
PPL: industry on the ground
Bolan Mining Enterprises, an equal joint venture with the Balochistan government, runs a 50,000 tonnes-a-year grinding mill at Khuzdar that supplies barytes to oil companies in Pakistan, adding a mineral-dust workplace.
PPL: who works there
The Sui gas field, discovered in 1952, is the company's flagship project and is in a depletion phase, with PPL as operator holding 100% of both Sui and Kandhkot.
PPL: projects and investment
In December 2019 the company announced new oil and gas discoveries in Sindh and Balochistan, so new well sites and gathering facilities are being added in both provinces.
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 PPL. Gas wellhead, gathering and compression rounds suit a device that can be carried into classified areas without extra permits for the handset itself, if its certificate allows. For crews working the Sui field in Balochistan or fields in Sindh, a single handheld for photos, checklists and calls would replace separate devices. Permits stay under PPL control.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for PPL
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 · PPL
Frequently asked questions
Can PPL 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 smartphone for PPL 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 PPL approve suppliers?
PPL runs an e-procurement portal (eprocurement.ppl.com.pk) through which tenders are issued and bids submitted; confirm vendor registration steps with its support team.
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.
How do suppliers approach PPL?
PPL buys through its own procurement department, normally by tender and vendor registration, with technical review by the operating asset. Confirm the current process and certification requirements directly with PPL's procurement before offering equipment.
How does desert heat affect phones used at Sui or Kandhkot?
Both areas are hot and dry, with high summer temperatures and dust. Handheld devices should have a suitable operating temperature range, good dust protection and a battery that tolerates heat, and the site can confirm its own limits and any restrictions on devices in direct sun.
Would the phone be suitable for gas fields in Balochistan and Sindh?
The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but a final decision depends on the certificate, the gas group and the area classification at each field. Heat, dust and distance from charging points should be planned for. No certificate has been issued yet, so ask PPL's HSE team.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on PPL, and on other places in Pakistan.
IECEx Mobile Phone for PPLSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PPLSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PPLSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for PPLSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for OGDCLElsewhere in Pakistan
Pakistan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for PakistanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PPL
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PPL, Pakistan
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 · PPL
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PPL?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.