Underground storage
Jurong Rock Caverns, 150 metres below ground, can store up to 1.47 million cubic metres (around 9 million barrels) of liquid hydrocarbons, adding below-ground classified areas.
One refinery on the island forbids mobile phones and other electrical or electronic equipment in its process plant and classified hazardous areas, and requires visitors to declare cameras, computers and laptops at security. It hosts over 100 global companies in refining, olefins and chemical manufacturing, so gas and vapour (Zone 1) areas are widespread. Distribution partners for Jurong Island are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Jurong Island 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Jurong Island: Refinery and cracker process units, Chemical and petrochemical plants, LNG storage and loading | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Jurong Island. 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.
Jurong Rock Caverns, 150 metres below ground, can store up to 1.47 million cubic metres (around 9 million barrels) of liquid hydrocarbons, adding below-ground classified areas.
JTC states that the island also hosts power generation and desalination plants and supports Singapore's natural gas supply, so work there covers utilities as well as process plants.
Aster's Bukom refinery and its Jurong Island chemical complex are linked by a 5 km subsea pipeline, so products and feedstocks move between the two islands without ship transfers.
Jurong Rock Caverns, completed in 2014, were the first commercial underground liquid-hydrocarbon storage in Southeast Asia, sited under the seabed of Banyan Basin about 120 metres (390 feet) below sea level.
The island was created by reclaiming and amalgamating seven southern offshore islands, and its land area was tripled from the original 1,000 hectares, as described by the Prime Minister at the caverns' opening in 2014.
The nearest rail link is Lakeside MRT station; public bus 98 runs to the Jurong Island Checkpoint, and some plants run private shuttle buses between the checkpoint and their premises.
“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 Jurong Island. Refinery and cracker units, chemical plants, LNG storage and marine jetties are all described loosely as explosion-proof areas. The real concepts are flameproof Ex d for fixed gear and intrinsic safety for handhelds. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsic safety, so each plant should say which concept a task needs.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Jurong Island. 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.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
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 and cracker process units, chemical and petrochemical plants, lng storage and loading, underground rock cavern storage. 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 Jurong Island.
The caverns store crude oil, condensate, naphtha and gasoil, so hydrocarbon vapour hazards are expected around the facility's surface operations. The actual zone boundaries are set by the operator's area classification drawings, so confirm them before taking any portable device near the site.
Visitors typically apply for a Jurong Island visitor pass at the island checkpoint, exchanging an identity card or passport, and then collect a separate security pass at the plant. Each plant sets its own induction, escort and screening steps, so book the visit through a named sponsor.
Jurong Rock Caverns hold crude oil and petrochemical products below ground, adding confined-space and below-ground classified areas. The plant sets the classification and entry rules. Ask the operator which zone applies and whether handhelds are permitted, and check that the marking suits that zone.
More on Jurong Island, and on other places in Singapore.
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.