Salt, humidity and washdown
A platform never dries out. The IP68 sealing and rugged build are specified for a salt-laden atmosphere, and a unit has to survive being rinsed along with the equipment around it.
Qatar · North Oil Company
Explosion proof mobile phone for North Oil Company's Al Shaheen field
An explosion proof mobile phone for North Oil Company in Qatar has to work on platforms in the Gulf, about 180 km from Doha, where the nearest spare is a boat or helicopter transfer away. This page covers the Al Shaheen field, how its offshore work is organised, and what the IS-04Z1 is designed for. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification and vendor documentation in progress
Local approvalMOCI · IECExIECEx · MOCI conformity in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
The field · Al Shaheen
Explosion proof mobile phone for the Al Shaheen platforms in Qatar
Al Shaheen is Qatar's largest offshore oil field, in Block 5 about 180 km from Doha. North Oil Company took over as operator in July 2017, with QatarEnergy holding 70 per cent and TotalEnergies 30 per cent. Public sources describe an existing development of around 30 platforms and 300 wells, accounting for roughly half of Qatar's oil production. A further development phase, known as Project Ru'ya, has been awarded for more than 200 wells, nine remote wellhead platforms and a new central processing complex, with first oil planned for 2027. That means a live producing field and a major offshore construction programme running side by side.
Offshore areas
- Wellhead platforms
- Wells, flowlines and manifolds in open, ventilated platform areas.
- Processing and gathering platforms
- Separation, gas handling and export pipework, usually the densest classified area.
- Drilling and workover rigs
- Classified zones that move with the well programme.
- Remote wellhead platforms
- Small platforms visited on rotation, often unmanned between visits.
- Helidecks and boat landings
- Transfer points where equipment is carried in and out.
- Accommodation modules
- Safe-area living quarters, where chargers and charging rules apply.
Who is involved
- North Oil Company
- Operates Al Shaheen under QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies ownership.
- Platform operations teams
- Offshore crews on set rotations, with a control room ashore.
- Drilling and well-service contractors
- Rig crews and specialist service companies moving between platforms.
- Construction and hook-up contractors
- Project crews installing the new Ru'ya facilities.
- Marine and aviation support
- Supply vessels and helicopters that connect platforms with the shore.
- QatarEnergy
- Majority owner, and a source of In-Country Value requirements for suppliers.
Built for local conditions
What a Gulf platform does to a handset
Offshore Qatar combines heat, salt and isolation. These are the conditions that decide whether a handset is still in use at the end of a rotation.
IP ratingIP68
Battery4,000 mAh
Camera50 MP
OSAndroid 16
Replacement is a transfer, not a trip to stores
A failed handset offshore means waiting for the next boat or flight. That is why we ask evaluation crews to test a unit across a whole rotation, and why the repair route is through SAMS and its Qatari partner rather than a platform workshop.
Gas atmospheres at the process deck
Wellhead and process areas on an oil platform carry hydrocarbon gas. The design target is Zone 1, gas group IIC, temperature class T4, which is the marking string the offshore engineers will compare against their area classification.
A camera under permit
Photographs of platform equipment are controlled. Android Enterprise policy lets the operator's telecoms group restrict or disable the camera and prove the setting, which is how a camera-equipped device becomes admissible.
How work is organised
Rotations, hook-up campaigns and approval for Al Shaheen
Offshore work runs on fixed rotations with a transfer at each end. A handset has to fit inside that cycle.
- Rotations
- Crews work set periods offshore then return ashore. Whatever the outgoing crew records has to be readable by the incoming one.
- Hook-up and project work
- New facilities bring contractors who work alongside live production. Their devices are issued, tracked and wiped at the end of their scope.
- Connectivity
- Offshore coverage depends on the platform's own network. Applications that work with intermittent links are more useful than ones that need a constant connection.
- Vendor approval
- Ask North Oil Company's procurement and HSE teams for the registration and equipment requirements that apply. We do not describe an approval route we cannot verify.
- National conformity
- MOCI conformity and CRA radio approval are in the launch programme and have not been granted.
Use cases · Al Shaheen
Where the IS-04Z1 goes to work.
Platform operations01
Wellhead platform round
An operator visiting a remote wellhead platform has a short window before the boat leaves. Readings, photographs and a position go onto one record instead of being written down for later.
Drilling02
Rig crew and service-company handover
A new crew inherits the previous shift's notes. Messages and photographs held on an enrolled handset travel with the shift log rather than staying in a notebook.
Projects03
Hook-up crews on new platforms
A contractor fleet arrives for a campaign. Central enrolment, application control and remote wipe let the operator supervise a large issued fleet and recover it afterwards.
Questions · North Oil Company
Frequently asked questions
Is the IS-04Z1 approved for Al Shaheen platforms?
No. It is pre-launch with a Q4 2026 launch date and certification in progress. North Oil Company decides what goes onto its platforms, and that decision follows the certificate and its own technical review.
Does an offshore platform need extra marine approvals?
Some offshore equipment carries marine or offshore classification requirements in addition to the hazardous-area certificate. The scope that applies to a handset is something to settle with the operator's engineering team once the certificates exist.
How long does a battery last on a rotation?
The 4,000 mAh battery is specified for a full shift. Crews should recharge in the accommodation module, which is a safe area, rather than in the process areas.
Is Arabic supported for offshore crews?
Yes. Android 16 runs the interface in Arabic or English, and the language can be set per user by the managing console.
Enquiry · North Oil Company
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for North Oil Company, Qatar
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 Qatar. 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 · North Oil Company
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.