Climate
The Gulf Coast location is hot and humid with hurricane exposure, which shapes turnaround scheduling.
Motiva also runs the largest base oil plant in the Western Hemisphere, with a base oil capacity of 40,000 barrels a day supplied to customers in more than 15 countries. Zone 1 and Zone 21 areas arise at refinery process units, petrochemical plants and marine terminals. A hazardous area smartphone distributor in Port Arthur, Texas would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Port Arthur, 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Port Arthur, Texas: Tank farms, Marine terminals, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Port Arthur. 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 Gulf Coast location is hot and humid with hurricane exposure, which shapes turnaround scheduling.
Motiva's Port Arthur refinery reached 600,000 barrels a day in 2012, and the company describes its refinery as North America's largest. Motiva has been wholly owned by Saudi Aramco since 2017.
A separate steam cracker of 1 million tonnes a year, a joint venture with BASF, now runs mainly on locally produced ethane and butane.
The Motiva Port Arthur refinery covers about 1,400 acres, started in 1903 on 25 acres at 850 barrels a day and is described by its operator as the largest refinery in North America.
Port Arthur lies 90 miles east of Houston on the west side of Sabine Lake, with the Rainbow Bridge across the Neches River connecting it to Bridge City.
Port Arthur is tied with Lake Charles and Astoria as the most humid city in the contiguous United States, with relative humidity around 90 percent in the morning.
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 Port Arthur, Texas. The area types are refinery process units, petrochemical plants, tank farms and marine terminals, where Zone 1 and Zone 21 areas arise. Operators such as Motiva and Valero classify their own plant. SAMS has no role in classification and cannot say which areas of any plant qualify.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Port Arthur, 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.
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.
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 refinery process units, petrochemical plants, tank farms, marine terminals. 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 Port Arthur, Texas.
Port Arthur is among the most humid places in the contiguous United States, with morning humidity near 90 percent. Condensation inside poorly sealed devices is a real risk, so choose sealed housings and follow the maker's care instructions.
Large refineries run planned turnarounds that bring thousands of contractors on site for a limited period. Operators typically plan equipment and induction well in advance, so contact the site's maintenance planners early and confirm approval requirements.
Port Arthur is hot and humid with hurricane exposure, which shapes turnaround scheduling. A rugged IP68 phone helps with water and dust, and managed enrolment lets a contractor lock or recover devices when a site closes. Store and charge devices in safe areas away from classified plant.
Related guides for Port Arthur and for United States.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.