Bakken
Bakken output rose through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, with North Dakota and Montana passing 1 million barrels a day in April 2014.
US shale oil comes mainly from the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico and the Bakken in North Dakota. The Permian, Eagle Ford and Bakken together produced about 93 percent of US tight oil in 2023, and US output reached 13.2 million barrels a day. If you are specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for US shale oil operations, 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 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.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted 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 | 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.
Bakken output rose through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, with North Dakota and Montana passing 1 million barrels a day in April 2014.
Fields are remote, with heat in West Texas and cold winters in North Dakota.
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.
Private ownership of subsurface mineral rights in the United States makes it easier to lease land for drilling, which has encouraged a large number of independent operators.
The Permian Basin alone is about 250 miles wide and 300 miles long, which shows how widely shale activity is spread.
“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 US shale oil operations. In shale country, explosion-proof is field shorthand for gear around drilling rigs, wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas gathering. The concepts differ: flameproof Ex d versus intrinsic safety. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsic safety and targets an Ex ib marking.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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 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.
Other guides for US Shale Oil Operations, 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.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.