Deep-water terminal
Canaport was commissioned in 1970 and was the first deep-water crude terminal in the western hemisphere able to receive supertankers.
Irving Oil's Saint John refinery is Canada's largest, able to process more than 320,000 barrels of crude per day. The Canaport LNG regasification terminal was permitted for an initial 1 billion cubic feet per day and was set up by Irving Oil and Repsol to serve Atlantic Canada and the US Northeast. An intrinsically safe mobile phone distributor in Saint John, New Brunswick would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Saint John, New Brunswick 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. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | Saint John, New Brunswick: Refinery process units, Crude and product storage, Marine terminal | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Saint John Refinery. 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.
Canaport was commissioned in 1970 and was the first deep-water crude terminal in the western hemisphere able to receive supertankers.
The Bay of Fundy coast is damp and foggy, so ingress protection and corrosion resistance are useful.
The Irving Oil Refinery in Saint John was built from 1960 with a California partner and expanded to Canada's largest refinery, processing over 300,000 barrels per day.
The Port of Saint John is Canada's third-largest by tonnage, with a cargo base that includes dry and liquid bulk and break bulk, giving the refinery and terminals deep-water supply routes.
An Irving Oil statement from the Canaport LNG agreements described the refinery as predominantly an export refinery that supplies about half of Canada's petroleum product exports.
Canaport is a deep-water crude oil receiving terminal with one single-point mooring for supertankers, plus a jetty for LNG tankers, so tanker movements are part of the local operating picture.
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In Saint John, New Brunswick. A refinery able to process more than 320,000 barrels of crude per day has long rounds across units, tank storage and the terminal. An intrinsically safe handheld supports inspection checklists and photos at the equipment. Turnaround work follows the permit system the refinery already uses.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Saint John, New Brunswick. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device 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.
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude and product storage, marine terminal. 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 Saint John, New Brunswick.
Process units, tank farms, loading and marine terminal areas commonly have Zone 1 or 2 gas areas. The refinery's classification drawings define gas group and temperature class, so request them before specifying handheld devices.
Canaport is a crude oil receiving terminal with a single-point mooring and an LNG terminal near Saint John. Marine and tank areas bring flammable vapour risks, so confirm the terminal's classification and device rules with the operator.
Irving Oil, as operator, decides which equipment is permitted in each area, normally through its HSE or electrical authority. Ship and tanker crews may have their own requirements too. Ask the refinery for its zone data and approval process, and do not assume a manufacturer certificate alone will be enough.
Other guides for Saint John Refinery, other places in Canada, 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.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.