Environment
Fields are remote, with heat in West Texas and cold winters in North Dakota.
Tight reservoirs typically need roughly 15 to 20 percent natural gas in the pore space to drive the oil, so oil wells commonly come with associated gas to handle. Zone 1 work arises at drilling rigs, wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas gathering. If you are specifying an IECEx mobile phone for US shale oil operations, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for US shale oil operations: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | US shale oil operations: Drilling rigs, Wellsites and tank batteries, Compressor stations | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in US Shale Oil Operations. 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.
Fields are remote, with heat in West Texas and cold winters in North Dakota.
The Permian is the highest-producing US oil field, at 4.2 million barrels a day in 2019, with Midland-based Diamondback among its operators.
Tight oil formations in the United States include the Bakken, Niobrara, Barnett and Eagle Ford shales, spread across several states and climates.
Tight oil is light crude held in low-permeability formations and is produced with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal wells; at least 4,000 new shale wells came online in 2012 alone.
Private ownership of subsurface mineral rights in the United States makes it easier to lease land for drilling, which has encouraged a large number of independent operators.
The Permian, Eagle Ford and Bakken together produced about 93 percent of US tight oil in 2023, and US output reached 13.2 million barrels a day.
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In US shale oil operations. Shale operators and service companies with global operations may use IECEx records in other regions. For them a certificate of conformity and schedule of conditions would be the reference documents. For the IS-04Z1, IECEx is a target, and nothing has been issued while the product is pre-launch.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Likely candidates are drilling rigs, wellsites and tank batteries, compressor stations, gas gathering and processing. 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.
The Permian dominates, followed by the Eagle Ford and Bakken, which together made up about 93 percent of US tight oil in 2023. Each has a different climate, from hot and dusty West Texas to very cold North Dakota.
Activity follows oil prices and drilling schedules, with many independent operators adjusting programs quickly. Suppliers usually need flexible stock and fast service, and buyers should agree lead times in advance.
Not necessarily. Producers and field service contractors generally set their own equipment requirements, and the states have separate regulators for oil and gas. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet. Confirm requirements with the site operator in each basin.
More on US Shale Oil Operations, and on other places in United States.
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.