ATEX Certified Explosion-Proof Mobile Phones for Angola’s Offshore Oil & Gas Sector

Angola is sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer, with operations concentrated in the deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore Lower Congo Basin and Kwanza Basin off the Atlantic coast. Sonangol, the state operator, partners with TotalEnergies (Block 17 operator), Chevron (Block 0 & Block 14), BP, ExxonMobil, Eni, and Equinor across some of the world’s most prolific deepwater clusters — Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, CLOV, Kaombo, Plutonio, and Greater Tombua.

Equipment used in Angola’s explosive atmospheres is qualified to international Ex standards (ATEX 2014/34/EU, IECEx) under Agencia Nacional de Petroleo, Gas e Biocombustiveis (ANPG) regulations and operator-specific specifications. The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas (MIREMPET) and Sonangol’s HSE-MS framework demand ATEX, RoHS, and Zone 1/21 documentation for all electrical equipment used offshore.

Major offshore production hubs — FPSOs across Block 17 (Girassol, Dalia, Pazflor, CLOV, Kaombo Norte / Sul), Block 14 (Tombua-Landana, BBLT), Block 15 (Kizomba A & B), Block 18 (Greater Plutonio), and the newer Block 15/06 (West Hub Sangos / Mpungi) — operate Zone 1 / Zone 21 classified production facilities at depths between 600 and 2,000 metres. EPC and subsea contractors require certified intrinsically safe phones for SIMOPS and inspection rounds.

Angola LNG (Soyo plant, 5.2 mtpa) supplies LNG export markets from Block 14 associated gas, and the Cabinda Refinery (60k bpd, with planned expansion) and the Lobito Refinery project (200k bpd, under development) extend the hazardous-zone footprint. Subsea-7, TechnipFMC, Saipem, McDermott, and Heerema mobilise rotation crews requiring ATEX-compliant communication tools across Angolan deepwater campaigns.