LNG
Cheniere's Corpus Christi terminal produced first LNG from its Stage 3 expansion in December 2024, designed to add about 10 million tonnes a year.
Corpus Christi is a Texas Gulf Coast port described as the largest US gateway for crude oil exports. The Port of Corpus Christi is among the largest US ports by waterborne tonnage and is described as one of the country's leading energy export locations, mostly oil, agricultural products and general cargo. Distribution partners for Corpus Christi, Texas are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Corpus Christi, Texas has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
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.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Marking | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 on the rating plate | Design target; not yet marked |
| EU-type examination certificate | Notified body number and certificate ID | In progress with TÜV; not issued |
| IECEx certificate of conformity | Number listed on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Corpus Christi, Texas: LNG storage and loading, Crude and product marine terminals, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Corpus Christi. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Cheniere's Corpus Christi terminal produced first LNG from its Stage 3 expansion in December 2024, designed to add about 10 million tonnes a year.
Valero, CITGO and Flint Hills Resources each operate a refinery in the city; Flint Hills' is reported at 104,000 barrels a day.
Cheniere's Corpus Christi LNG plant has a net liquefaction capacity of 18 million tonnes a year and was reported receiving about 2.37 billion cubic feet of feed gas a day, close to its peak.
Road access is by Interstate 37, Interstate 69E and US 77, and State Highway 44 links the city west to Laredo; two main bridges, the New Harbor Bridge and the Kennedy Causeway, cross the bay.
Cheniere has told US regulators it wants to add four more liquefaction trains at Corpus Christi, with a new 42-inch, 26-mile pipeline loop and a second compressor station at Sinton to feed them.
Corpus Christi International Airport handles air travel, and although the city has a large harbour it has no passenger port, so the waterfront is used for cargo.
ATEX is the European legal framework for equipment used in explosive atmospheres (Directive 2014/34/EU). IECEx is the international certification scheme built on the IEC 60079 standards. Buyers outside Europe often ask for both: an IECEx certificate is the technical evidence most national regimes build on, while ATEX is the legal route into the European market.
For the IS-04Z1 both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and neither certificate has been issued. The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: equipment Group II (surface industry), Category 2 (Zone 1 gas), protection concept ib (intrinsic safety), gas group IIC and temperature class T4.
In Corpus Christi, Texas. A reviewer at Corpus Christi would usually ask first for NEC-based Class and Division or Zone evidence. Cheniere's LNG terminal and the export-focused port work with international buyers, shippers and contractors who may carry ATEX or IECEx documents, which a dual route is designed to serve. Both are in progress for SAMS and none is issued.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Corpus Christi, Texas. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
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.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, lng liquefaction trains, lng storage and loading, crude and product marine terminals. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Corpus Christi, Texas.
LNG sites combine cryogenic storage, vaporising gas and compressor stations, so gas-hazard zones typically surround tanks, loading areas and compressor buildings. Which parts are classified is defined by the operator's drawings, and you should confirm before taking any phone into a plant.
June to September is the hottest period, with a record high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit, so check that a handset's stated operating and charging temperature range covers that, and avoid leaving devices in vehicles. Confirm the figures on the datasheet rather than assuming.
Not necessarily. LNG trains, storage and ship loading handle different substances and layouts from refinery process units, so each operator classifies its areas separately. Ask each operator which locations are classified, whether Division or Zone terms are used and what equipment evidence it accepts.
Related guides for Corpus Christi and for United States.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.