Regulation
The Railroad Commission of Texas oversees oil and gas exploration, production and transport, including hydrogen sulphide safety.
The first major Spindletop well was drilled on 10 January 1901, and the East Texas Oil Field, found in 1930, is the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous United States. Zone 1 work arises at wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas plants. An explosion proof smartphone distributor in Texas oil and gas fields would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Texas oil and gas fields 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. 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 | Texas oil and gas fields: Compressor stations, Gas processing plants, Wellsites and tank batteries | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Texas Oil Fields. 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.
The Railroad Commission of Texas oversees oil and gas exploration, production and transport, including hydrogen sulphide safety.
Texas produced about 41 per cent of US crude in 2019 and had 30 refineries holding 31 per cent of US refining capacity in January 2019.
The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety and LPG safety, and was created by the legislature in 1891.
Texas produced about 41 percent of national crude oil and 25 percent of national natural gas in 2019, and is the largest state producer of both.
As wells in the east of the state depleted, drilling moved westward, and today the busiest activity is in West Texas and under the Gulf of Mexico.
Thirty refineries operating in January 2019 made up 31 percent of national refining capacity, so oilfield and refinery work is closely linked.
“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 Texas oil and gas fields. Across Texas fields, explosion-proof is a casual term for gear at wellsites, drilling rigs, compressor stations and gas plants. The underlying concepts differ: flameproof Ex d versus intrinsic safety. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsic safety and targets an Ex ib marking.
A distributor for Texas oil and gas fields would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
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.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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 wellsites and tank batteries, drilling rigs, compressor stations, gas processing plants. 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 Texas oil and gas fields.
The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates oil and gas production, pipelines and LPG safety, while each operator sets its own electrical safety and equipment rules. For equipment approvals, ask the operator which marks and standards they accept.
US sites commonly use the National Electrical Code, which includes both a Class and Division approach and a Zone approach, and equipment is typically tested by a recognised US laboratory. The operator's area classification is the deciding document.
Classification is site-specific, whatever the field's age. A wellsite, tank battery, compressor station or gas plant each has its own classification and drawings. Compare the IS-04Z1 target marking against each, and ask the operator about permit rules. Certification is still in progress.
More on Texas Oil Fields, and on other places in United States.
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.