Active development
ARC Resources has described Attachie near Fort St. John producing more than 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including condensate.
The Montney Formation covers about 130,000 square kilometres of British Columbia and Alberta and is a major shale gas and tight oil resource. A 2013 joint study by the National Energy Board, the BC Oil and Gas Commission and the Alberta Energy Regulator assessed the formation, and gas is produced in both provinces, so operators work under two regimes. If you are specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for Montney gas play, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Montney gas play: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. 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 | Montney gas play: Wellpads and wellheads, Gas processing plants, Compressor stations | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Montney Gas Field. 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.
ARC Resources has described Attachie near Fort St. John producing more than 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including condensate.
Gas from the Montney supplies LNG Canada via the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
The Montney Formation was first described in 1962 from Texaco's Buick Creek No. 7 well, drilled 41 km north of Fort St. John immediately east of the Alaska Highway.
Most of the gas lies in about 35,000 km2 on the Montney's west side, of which roughly 25,000 km2 of core areas are developed first because of better reservoir quality.
Average Montney wells ramp up over the first one to three months, peak and then decline steeply, so operators keep drilling and completing new wells to hold output, which sustains demand for field services.
The Montney Formation covers about 130,000 km2 in western Canada and could produce about 449 trillion cubic feet of natural gas with modern technology, making it one of North America's largest gas resources.
“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 Montney gas play. On the Montney, explosion-proof is often applied to wellhead and compressor equipment. Flameproof Ex d protects enclosures on fixed plant, but a handheld phone uses intrinsic safety. Wellpads, gas plants, compressor stations and condensate handling are different areas, and each should have its own classification.
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.
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.
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 wellpads and wellheads, gas processing plants, compressor stations, condensate handling. 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.
Hydrogen sulphide is a toxic hazard rather than an Ex rating, but sour sites add gas detection, breathing apparatus and rules for devices. Confirm requirements with the operator's induction team and ensure your device meets zone and gas group needs.
Typically wellpads, gas gathering, compressor stations and gas plants with flammable natural gas, and some sites with condensate or sour gas. Classified areas vary by facility, so request the operator's classification drawing before bringing equipment.
Yes, gas from the Montney supplies LNG Canada through the Coastal GasLink pipeline. That link does not change the area classification at a wellpad, which the producing operator decides. A handset would still need to match the zone, gas group and temperature class assigned for that location. Ask the operator for the area data.
Other guides for Montney Gas Field, other places in Canada, and the pages behind them.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.