Environment
The semi-arid setting has hot, sunny summers and cool, dry winters with strong winds. Crews often drive long distances between sites.
The shale boom of the early 2010s revived the area after the 1980s oil bust, with manufacturing, transport and construction firms largely serving the energy industry. Zone 1 work arises in the surrounding fields at wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas plants rather than in the cities themselves. Distribution partners for Midland and Odessa, Texas are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Midland and Odessa, Texas 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.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Midland and Odessa, Texas: 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 Midland Odessa. 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 semi-arid setting has hot, sunny summers and cool, dry winters with strong winds. Crews often drive long distances between sites.
Midland is described as a major centre of US oil and natural gas production, and Odessa's economy has been driven mainly by the oil industry. Midland International Air and Space Port serves both cities.
Midland and Odessa began as railroad stations halfway between Dallas and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific line, sit about 20 miles apart and are jointly promoted as Two Cities, No Limits.
The surrounding Permian Basin is about 250 miles wide and 300 miles long and contains more than 7,000 fields, so sites are spread across a very large area.
The Permian Basin oil boom of the 1920s moved the area's economy from cattle to energy, and by 1929 a total of 36 oil companies had set up offices in Midland.
Activity follows energy cycles, and the 2015-16 oil downturn and the 2020 pandemic both depressed local activity, so contractor availability and demand can change quickly.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Midland and Odessa, Texas. In the Midland and Odessa region, Zone 1 work arises in the surrounding fields at wellsites, drilling rigs, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas processing plants, not in the cities. The producer or plant owner classifies those areas. SAMS does not classify areas; it only describes its product marking.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Midland and Odessa, Texas yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
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.
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.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
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 Midland and Odessa, Texas.
It has been, for example the lowest US unemployment rate in 2014, and it moves with oil prices. Plan for competition for experienced technicians and book service or training slots with enough notice.
Midland has a hot semi-arid climate with roughly 115 afternoons above 90 degrees Fahrenheit a year, plus dust. Choose devices with a dust-tight rating, check the operating temperature range, and keep them out of parked vehicles in summer.
Crews often drive long distances between sites in a semi-arid setting with hot summers and strong winds. A rugged IP68 handset and a managed fleet help, and a vehicle charger would stay in safe areas. Battery performance in heat should be checked, and offline operation tested where coverage is patchy.
Other guides for Midland Odessa, other places in United States, 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.