Pemex: background
Small quantities of oil were first refined into kerosene around 1876 near Tampico, showing that the Gulf coast oil area has a very long industrial history and ageing plant in places.
Pemex · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Smartphone for Pemex
Pemex is Mexico's state-owned oil company, founded in 1938, producing crude oil, natural gas, fuels and petrochemicals. In September 2021 Pemex and Braskem agreed a gas supply deal and a 400 million dollar ethane terminal at Laguna de Pajaritos in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, adding petrochemical handling in the south-east. If you are specifying an explosion proof smartphone for Pemex, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicexplosion proof
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WherePemex
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Pemex: 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. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · explosion proof
Checklist: explosion proof smartphone for Pemex
| 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 | Pemex: Offshore platforms, Refinery process units, Petrochemical plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Mexico
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Mexico. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The organisation · Pemex
Working with Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex): sites and classified areas
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
Sites and areas
- Madero (Tamaulipas)
- Minatitlan (Veracruz)
- Salina Cruz (Oaxaca)
- Tula (Hidalgo)
Classified areas
- Offshore platforms
- Refinery process units
- Petrochemical plants
Supplier approval · Pemex
How suppliers reach Pemex
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
Field notes · Pemex
More about Pemex that matters for portable equipment
Pemex: projects and investment
In July 2021 the energy secretariat appointed Pemex operator of the offshore Zama field, which would feed Pemex-run facilities, showing continued activity in Gulf of Mexico shallow waters.
Pemex: who works there
A new Pemex unit was announced in 2021 to handle liquefied petroleum gas distribution, so LPG storage and delivery sites are also part of the group's hazardous-area footprint.
Pemex: industry on the ground
Published refinery listings show Pemex running refineries at Tula and Salina Cruz (320,000 barrels a day each), Cadereyta (292,000), Salamanca (236,000), Madero (190,000), Minatitlán (170,000) and the newer Dos Bocas (340,000).
The term · explosion proof
What “explosion proof” means for a smartphone
“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 Pemex. In Mexican refineries and offshore platforms, explosion-proof is a casual phrase for several concepts. Flameproof Ex d protects fixed motors and enclosures, while intrinsic safety suits portable devices. A phone used on a Cantarell platform or in a Dos Bocas process unit is an intrinsic safety question, and the IS-04Z1 is designed around that concept.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof smartphone for Pemex
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Pemex
Frequently asked questions
Can Pemex buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an explosion proof smartphone for Pemex cost?
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.
Is the IS-04Z1 explosion proof or intrinsically safe?
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.
How does Pemex approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
How does the Gulf coast climate affect phones used on Pemex facilities?
Gulf of Mexico and Veracruz sites are typically hot, humid and salty, with heavy rain in the wet season. For handheld devices that means checking sealing, corrosion resistance and operating temperature, and asking the facility about its own environmental limits.
Which Pemex facilities usually have Zone 1 areas?
Typical Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas occur at refineries, gas processing and petrochemical plants, offshore platforms, LPG terminals and pipeline stations. Actual classification is facility-specific, so request area classification drawings from the operator before choosing portable equipment.
Do Pemex sites need Spanish-language device support?
In practice yes, since operators and maintenance crews work in Spanish. Check that the interface, MDM policies and documentation can be provided in Spanish before any pilot. The IS-04Z1 runs Android 16 with EMM/MDM support, but no certificate has been issued, and SAMS has appointed no Mexican distributor.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Pemex, and on other places in Mexico.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PemexSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PemexSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PemexSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for PemexSame place, different guide
Mexico market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for MexicoEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Pemex
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Pemex, Mexico
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Pemex
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Pemex?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.