ATEX Certified Explosion-Proof Mobile Phones for Norway’s Offshore Energy Sector

Norway is Western Europe’s largest hydrocarbon producer, with operations centred on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) — the North Sea (Ekofisk, Sleipner, Troll, Oseberg, Johan Sverdrup), the Norwegian Sea (Aasta Hansteen, Heidrun, Draugen), and the Barents Sea (Goliat, Johan Castberg, Snohvit). Equinor (state-majority), Aker BP, Var Energi, ConocoPhillips, Wintershall Dea, and Shell jointly operate hundreds of platforms, FPSOs, and subsea tie-backs in classified hazardous zones.

Equipment used on the NCS must comply with ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU, IECEx scheme certification, NORSOK S-001 / Z-013 (Safety & Risk), and operator-specific TR series technical requirements. The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA / Ptil) regulates offshore safety, and procurement teams require IECEx / ATEX documentation for all electrical and electronic equipment used in Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 21, and Zone 22 areas.

Refining and gas-processing centres — Mongstad (Equinor), Karsto (gas processing), Slagen (now decommissioned), and the Hammerfest LNG plant at Melkoya — operate Zone 1 / Zone 21 process units. Drilling rigs, FPSOs, and well-intervention vessels mobilised from the Stavanger and Bergen supply bases require ATEX certified mobile phones and tablets for SIMOPS coordination and inspection workflows.

Norway’s Arctic and deepwater operations — Johan Castberg (Barents Sea) and Aasta Hansteen (the deepest production hub on the NCS, 1,300 m water depth) — demand devices certified for explosive atmospheres alongside extreme-cold ruggedisation. Subsea-7, TechnipFMC, Saipem, and other Tier-1 contractors require ATEX-compliant communication tools for offshore campaigns and shutdown maintenance.