Permian
The Permian is the highest-producing US oil field, at 4.2 million barrels a day in 2019, with Midland-based Diamondback among its operators.
US shale oil comes mainly from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico and the Bakken in North Dakota. Zone 1 work arises at drilling rigs, wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas gathering. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for US shale oil operations, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for US shale oil operations: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. 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 | US shale oil operations: Drilling rigs, Wellsites and tank batteries, Compressor stations | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in US Shale Oil Operations. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
The Permian is the highest-producing US oil field, at 4.2 million barrels a day in 2019, with Midland-based Diamondback among its operators.
Bakken output rose through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, with North Dakota and Montana passing 1 million barrels a day in April 2014.
About two thirds of the world's active drilling rigs are in the United States and Canada, and many independent operators and contractors have shale expertise, so crews and service firms are plentiful.
Tight oil formations in the United States include the Bakken, Niobrara, Barnett and Eagle Ford shales, spread across several states and climates.
Tight reservoirs typically need roughly 15 to 20 percent natural gas in the pore space to drive the oil, so oil wells commonly come with associated gas to handle.
Tight oil is light crude held in low-permeability formations and is produced with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal wells; at least 4,000 new shale wells came online in 2012 alone.
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 US shale oil operations. US shale operators in the Permian and Bakken are mainly domestic, but their parents and some service contractors work internationally. A reviewer may ask for dual ATEX and IECEx evidence to reuse one record abroad. The IS-04Z1 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
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 drilling rigs, wellsites and tank batteries, compressor stations, gas gathering and processing. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
The Permian dominates, followed by the Eagle Ford and Bakken, which together made up about 93 percent of US tight oil in 2023. Each has a different climate, from hot and dusty West Texas to very cold North Dakota.
Activity follows oil prices and drilling schedules, with many independent operators adjusting programs quickly. Suppliers usually need flexible stock and fast service, and buyers should agree lead times in advance.
Not necessarily. Producers and field service contractors generally set their own equipment requirements, and the states have separate regulators for oil and gas. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet. Confirm requirements with the site operator in each basin.
Related guides for US Shale Oil Operations 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.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.