Qatargas: projects and investment
In August 2021 Qatargas completed the WHP12N platform jacket for its North Field Production Sustainability project, the first drilling support structure built in Qatar for Qatargas, at the Qcon yard.
Qatargas · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone for Qatargas
Qatargas was established in 1984 and now trades as QatarEnergy LNG, a QatarEnergy company that develops and produces gas from the North Field and operates LNG facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City. Its upstream assets are in Ras Laffan and its headquarters are in Doha. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for Qatargas, 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
WhereQatargas
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Qatargas: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 smartphone for Qatargas
| 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 | Qatargas: LNG liquefaction trains, Offshore facilities, Onshore gas processing | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Qatar
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 Qatar. 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 · Qatargas
QatarEnergy LNG (formerly Qatargas) and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Ras Laffan Industrial City
- North Field (offshore and onshore facilities)
Classified areas
- LNG liquefaction trains
- Offshore facilities
- Onshore gas processing
- Helium production
Supplier approval · Qatargas
How suppliers reach Qatargas
QatarEnergy LNG is part of the QatarEnergy group, whose Supply Management section describes vendor registration through the Mushtaryat Portal (SAP Vendor Code) and a Preferred Manufacturers List; 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 · Qatargas
More about Qatargas that matters for portable equipment
Qatargas: who works there
Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company was established in 1993 to operate and maintain LNG and helium production, and Qatargas Operating Company was formed in July 2005 to build later projects.
Qatargas: projects and investment
Qatargas 3 and 4 started production in November 2010 and January 2011, and Trains 6 and 7 each added 7.8 million tonnes a year, so the Ras Laffan site has many large mega-trains.
Qatargas: industry on the ground
Helium is produced at Ras Laffan: the first helium came in August 2005, and Ras Laffan Helium 2, inaugurated in 2013, is described as the largest plant of its kind in the world.
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 Qatargas. On LNG liquefaction trains, onshore gas processing and terminal operations, rounds involve walking large plants and reading instruments. A handheld designed for intrinsic safety could capture readings, photos and calls near the equipment if the certificate permits it. Permit-to-work rules at Ras Laffan and offshore remain the operator's.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for Qatargas
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 · Qatargas
Frequently asked questions
Can Qatargas 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 smartphone for Qatargas 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 Qatargas approve suppliers?
QatarEnergy LNG is part of the QatarEnergy group, whose Supply Management section describes vendor registration through the Mushtaryat Portal (SAP Vendor Code) and a Preferred Manufacturers List; confirm current 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.
How do ventures such as Qatargas 1 to 4 differ for site access?
Each venture or operating company at Ras Laffan can maintain its own induction, permit and equipment rules on top of the industrial city's general requirements. Ask the specific venture's HSE team for its procedures, because a device accepted at one train may still need approval at another.
Does the QatarEnergy LNG name change affect supplier registration?
Qatargas now trades as QatarEnergy LNG, and its ventures are run by operating companies under QatarEnergy. Supplier registration and equipment approval remain with the organisation concerned, so confirm the current registration route and contact point through its procurement and HSE teams instead of relying on older Qatargas contacts.
Could the phone be used offshore on North Field facilities?
Only if the final certificate, gas group and temperature class suit the offshore area and the operator permits it. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but has no certificate yet. Offshore connectivity and charging also need planning, so ask the operator's HSE team.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Qatargas and for Qatar.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for QatargasSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for QatargasSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for QatargasSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for QatargasSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for QatarEnergyElsewhere in Qatar
Qatar market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for QatarEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Qatargas
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Qatargas, Qatar
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 · Qatargas
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Qatargas?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.