LNG
In 2024 the four operating Louisiana terminals handled three-fifths of US LNG exports. Sabine Pass is the largest US operating terminal, at about 35 per cent of national LNG exports.
Louisiana has 15 oil refineries, about one-sixth of US refining capacity, plus a Mississippi River industrial corridor and four operating LNG export terminals. The stretch of river between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is home to more than 140 chemical plants and refineries, with new plants added where cheap natural gas meets international port access. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof mobile phone for Louisiana, 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 Louisiana: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Louisiana: Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants, LNG liquefaction and loading | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Louisiana. 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.
In 2024 the four operating Louisiana terminals handled three-fifths of US LNG exports. Sabine Pass is the largest US operating terminal, at about 35 per cent of national LNG exports.
A subtropical, humid climate with the highest annual rainfall of the lower 48 states. Most refineries are in the south of the state and are exposed to storms.
Other large refineries include Citgo at Lake Charles, Phillips 66 at Westlake, Shell at Norco with about 231,000 barrels a day, and Valero at Norco and Meraux.
The largest refinery in the state is Marathon Petroleum's Garyville plant at 617,000 barrels a day, followed by ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge refinery at about 523,500 barrels a day.
Louisiana is divided into parishes rather than counties, so permits, local authorities and emergency planning bodies are organised at parish level.
Southern Louisiana has long, hot, humid summers, with highs averaging 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more from June to September and overnight lows above 70, and frequent brief tropical downpours.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In Louisiana. Statewide, the term explosion-proof covers refinery units, petrochemical plants, LNG loading and tank farms in everyday speech. The engineering choices differ: flameproof Ex d contains a blast, while intrinsic safety prevents ignition by limiting energy. The IS-04Z1 is designed for the latter, with Ex ib as its marking target.
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.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, petrochemical plants, lng liquefaction and loading, tank farms and terminals. 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.
They concentrate along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, around Lake Charles in the southwest, and in the Norco and Chalmette areas. Each has its own operators, so confirm the exact plant and gate procedures before sending staff or equipment.
Ask for the area classification for the units you will visit, the equipment approvals they accept, and any rules on cameras, radios and charging. Requirements vary by operator, and your safety contact on site is the authority.
Not necessarily. Operators set their own contractor and equipment approvals, so a refinery and an LNG terminal may ask for different documents. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet. Confirm requirements with the site operator for each plant before planning a fleet.
Other guides for Louisiana, other places in United States, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.