Bapco: projects and investment
Bapco Refining manages what Bapco Energies calls the largest energy investment in Bahrain, so contractor and commissioning activity is heavy around the refinery.
Bapco · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone Supplier for Bapco
The Bahrain Petroleum Company was founded in 1929, discovered oil in 1932 and built Bahrain's first refinery in 1936. Reports say the expansion includes a 65,000 barrel a day LC-Fining residue hydrocracking unit, new 225,000 barrel a day crude distillation units and sulphur recovery systems, with commissioning targeted for late 2025. This page sets out how an intrinsically safe smartphone supply route to Bapco 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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSupply
WhereBapco
Short answer. An intrinsically safe smartphone for Bapco 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 Bapco
| 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 | Bapco: Gas handling, Onshore oil production, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Bahrain
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 Bahrain. 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 · Bapco
Bapco Energies (Bapco Refining is the successor of the Bahrain Petroleum Company) and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Sitra refinery complex
- Bahrain Field (Awali)
- Aviation fuelling (Bapco Air Fueling)
Classified areas
- Refinery process units
- Fuel storage tank farms and wharf
- Gas handling
- Onshore oil production
Supplier approval · Bapco
How suppliers reach Bapco
Bapco Energies' website carries a Vendors & Suppliers page under its Our Responsibility section; confirm current registration steps with its procurement 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 · Bapco
More about Bapco that matters for portable equipment
Bapco: who works there
Bapco Energies, formerly nogaholding, was set up in 2007 and became an independent agency when the National Oil and Gas Authority was abolished in September 2021, so it now acts as the Bahrain energy group's parent.
Bapco: infrastructure
Bahrain's LNG import terminal at Al Hidd, opened in May 2019, has a floating storage unit, jetty, regasification platform, onshore gas storage and nitrogen plant, and a capacity of about 800 million cubic feet a day.
Bapco: projects and investment
The modernisation programme will replace some of the oldest and least efficient refinery units and also needs changes at the Sitra tank farm, Sitra wharf and the transfer pipelines.
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 Bapco. Rounds across the Sitra refinery, gas treatment plant and fuel loading areas involve reading gauges, photographing leaks and filing permits, often in classified areas. A handheld designed as intrinsically safe could handle those tasks on one device. The IS-04Z1 is designed for that, though certification is still in progress.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Bapco
Nothing can be bought for Bapco today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
- 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 · Bapco
Frequently asked questions
Can Bapco 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 smartphone for Bapco 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 Bapco approve suppliers?
Bapco Energies' website carries a Vendors & Suppliers page under its Our Responsibility section; confirm current registration steps with its procurement team.
How will SAMS supply Bapco?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Does Bahrain require radio approval for phones used at refineries?
Radio equipment in Bahrain is normally approved against EU-style conformity requirements, with approved products labelled and certificates valid for a limited time, currently three years. Confirm the current rules with the telecommunications authority or your local importer, then ask Bapco about site device policy.
Who do suppliers deal with at Bapco, the refinery company or the energy group?
Both may be involved. Bapco Refining owns and operates the refinery, while Bapco Energies provides central support such as HR, finance, risk and commercial services. The company's website carries a vendors and suppliers page, so confirm the current registration route with procurement.
Can a phone be used for fuel loading and aviation fuelling areas at Bapco sites?
Only if its marking matches the area classification, which the operator sets. Fuel loading areas often involve IIA or IIB, but the documents decide. The IS-04Z1 target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, not yet certified. Confirm requirements with Bapco Energies' procurement and HSE teams.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Bapco and for Bahrain.
IECEx Mobile Phone for BapcoSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for BapcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for BapcoSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for BapcoSame place, different guide
Bahrain market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for BahrainEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Bapco
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Bapco, Bahrain
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 · Bapco
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Bapco?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.