Spray, ice and wind
A deck in the northern North Sea or the Barents Sea sees salt spray and sub-zero temperatures for months. IP68 sealing and rugged build are aimed at that, and the certified temperature range will be on the datasheet.
Norway · Offshore Oil and Gas
Explosion proof mobile phone for Offshore Oil and Gas in Norway
Offshore is where Norway's explosion proof mobile phone question is hardest: wet, cold, remote and unforgiving of a device that fails. This page covers fixed installations, floating production vessels and normally unmanned platforms across the Norwegian continental shelf, operated by companies such as Equinor, Aker BP, Vår Energi and ConocoPhillips. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21; its ATEX and IECEx certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification programme in progress
Local approvalATEX · IECExATEX 2014/34/EU through the EEA · in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The shelf · Offshore oil and gas
Installations on the Norwegian continental shelf
The shelf has several installation types, and each changes the handset question. Fixed steel and concrete platforms such as the Troll A gas platform and the Ekofisk centre carry process modules, wellheads and accommodation. Floating production vessels such as those at Skarv, Alvheim and Goliat add cargo tanks and a turret. Normally unmanned platforms are visited for a day by a small crew. Equinor and Aker BP operate most of the fields; Vår Energi operates Balder and Goliat; ConocoPhillips operates the Greater Ekofisk area; and Shell operates Ormen Lange through subsea facilities tied to Nyhamna. See the Equinor and Aker BP pages for field detail.
Operators and fields
- Equinor
- Troll, Oseberg, Johan Sverdrup, Gullfaks, Norne, Åsgard, Johan Castberg and more.
- Aker BP
- Alvheim, Valhall, Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen, Skarv and Ula.
- Vår Energi
- Balder and Goliat, the latter in the Barents Sea off Hammerfest.
- ConocoPhillips Norge
- The Greater Ekofisk area in the southern North Sea.
- Shell
- Ormen Lange, with its gas processed onshore at Nyhamna.
Where the hazards are
- Process modules
- Separation, compression and export, with Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas.
- Wellhead and drilling areas
- Gas from the well and mud systems; classification follows the rig and the well.
- Vessel hull spaces
- Cargo tanks, turret and offloading systems on floating production.
- Bulk handling
- Where powders are handled, dust classification may also apply.
- Helicopter deck and accommodation
- Outside the process hazard, but where crews change over.
Built for local conditions
What an explosion proof mobile phone faces offshore in Norway
Offshore weather decides a handset's life and offshore rotations decide who holds it.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Rotation and handover
A device passes between crews every few weeks. The console wipes and re-enrols it from onshore, so each incoming crew finds a clean, correctly configured phone.
Norwegian on the device
The framework regulations expect Norwegian to be used as far as possible offshore. Android 16 carries a Norwegian interface, and documents are produced in Norwegian and English.
Work patterns · Offshore
How work is organised and what procurement will ask
The common rotation is two weeks on, four off, with helicopter flights from bases such as Sola and Flesland on the North Sea and Kristiansund for the Norwegian Sea. Havtil supervises safety and working environment on the shelf, and the regulations are functional: they state goals, point to standards such as NORSOK and IEC 60079, and the operator documents its choice. Equipment must be selected, installed and inspected under that regime.
On the supplier side, operators share a qualification register, Magnet JQS, formerly EPIM JQS, and add their own technical requirements and equipment registers. SAMS has not been assessed by any operator. Ask the operator's procurement and HSE teams what a new Ex device must provide.
Process01
Permit and isolation work between deck and control room
A photograph and a voice confirmation at the valve save a trip back to the control room, and the result stays attached to the work order for the next shift.
Unmanned02
A day visit to a satellite platform
A small crew, one device, a photographed inspection and a recorded position.
Marine03
Offloading on a floating production vessel
A shuttle tanker transfer creates hazardous areas around the loading system. A rated device lets the operator communicate and record during the operation, and a photograph of the hose and coupling can be attached to the transfer log.
Questions · Offshore oil and gas
Frequently asked questions
Is Havtil involved in approving the handset?
Havtil supervises the operator's compliance; it does not approve individual products. The operator selects equipment and documents that it meets the regulations and standards. A certificate and a documented selection are what the operator needs.
Can the device be used offshore today?
No. Certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued. Offshore trials are part of the evaluation plan after certification, and each needs the operator's permission.
Does the sector also need dust protection?
Mostly gas. Dust arises where bulk powders are handled, and the design target covers Zone 21 as well as Zone 1, but certification for it is still in progress.
Enquiry · Offshore Oil and Gas
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Offshore Oil and Gas, Norway
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Norway. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · Offshore Oil and Gas
Launching Q4 2026
Evaluating the IS-04Z1 for this site?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.