Far from shore
Pre-salt units are far offshore, so crews and equipment move by helicopter and supply vessel.
The Santos Basin is an offshore province in the South Atlantic, roughly 300 km south-east of Santos, spanning about 352,000 square kilometres and holding major pre-salt fields such as Tupi, Buzios and Mero. Two new pre-salt platforms started in 2025 in the Santos Basin: the FPSO Almirante Tamandaré at the Búzios field and the FPSO Alexandre de Gusmão at the Mero field. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area mobile phone for Santos Basin, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Santos Basin: 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.
| 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 | Santos Basin: Platform process modules, Wellhead areas, Gas compression and export | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Santos Basin. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Pre-salt units are far offshore, so crews and equipment move by helicopter and supply vessel.
Pre-salt gas reaches the onshore Boaventura plant at Itaborai through the Rota 3 pipeline.
Santos, Guaruja and Ilhabela sit in the central onshore part of the basin, and the city of Rio de Janeiro is on the northern coastal edge, so supply bases cluster along that coast.
Associated gas in some pre-salt fields contains more than 20 percent CO2, which is separated on the FPSO, compressed and reinjected, so gas compression and high-pressure CO2 handling are routine offshore.
The basin is known for thick salt layers that deform into structures in the subsurface, and the pre-salt Tupi reservoir sits in microbialite carbonates of the Guaratiba Group beneath that salt.
Petrobras reported pre-salt production of 2.45 million barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2025, about 82% of its total output, which shows how much of its production now comes from pre-salt fields.
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 Santos Basin. The basin spans about 352,000 square kilometres, with fields such as Tupi, Buzios and Mero. Classified areas are platform process modules, wellhead areas, gas compression and export, and offloading areas. Each operator classifies its units. SAMS does not.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
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 platform process modules, wellhead areas, gas compression and export, offloading areas. 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.
Typically the turret and riser area, process and gas treatment decks, compression and CO2 handling areas, crude storage and offloading, and helideck fuel. Zones, gas groups and temperature classes are on the unit's classification drawings, so request them before choosing handheld devices.
The basin lies roughly 300 km southeast of Santos and the best-known discoveries are far offshore in deep water, so crew changes are mainly by helicopter and supply is by vessel. Confirm carry-on rules for powered devices with the operator.
Pre-salt units are far offshore, so crews and equipment move by helicopter and supply vessel. Spares need planning in advance. Confirm approvals, documentation and delivery routes with the operator and its contractors before relying on offshore replacement.
Related guides for Santos Basin and for Brazil.
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.