Fields
Drilling shifted west as eastern fields such as East Texas, discovered in 1930, declined. The Permian Basin now dominates onshore output.
Texas is the largest US crude oil producer, with onshore fields concentrated in the Permian Basin in the west and the historic East Texas field. Thirty refineries operating in January 2019 made up 31 percent of national refining capacity, so oilfield and refinery work is closely linked. An intrinsically safe mobile phone distributor in Texas oil and gas fields would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Texas oil and gas fields 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. 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 | Texas oil and gas fields: 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 Texas Oil Fields. 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.
Drilling shifted west as eastern fields such as East Texas, discovered in 1930, declined. The Permian Basin now dominates onshore output.
The Railroad Commission of Texas oversees oil and gas exploration, production and transport, including hydrogen sulphide safety.
The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety and LPG safety, and was created by the legislature in 1891.
Texas produced about 41 percent of national crude oil and 25 percent of national natural gas in 2019, and is the largest state producer of both.
As wells in the east of the state depleted, drilling moved westward, and today the busiest activity is in West Texas and under the Gulf of Mexico.
The first major Spindletop well was drilled on 10 January 1901, and the East Texas Oil Field, found in 1930, is the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous United States.
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 Texas oil and gas fields. Field operators in Texas make repeated visits to wellsites, tank batteries and compressor stations, where a phone is useful for checks, photographs and reporting. An intrinsically safe handheld is designed to be carried into Zone 1 areas. Operator permit systems still apply, and certification must be completed first.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Texas oil and gas fields 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 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.
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 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 Texas oil and gas fields.
The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates oil and gas production, pipelines and LPG safety, while each operator sets its own electrical safety and equipment rules. For equipment approvals, ask the operator which marks and standards they accept.
US sites commonly use the National Electrical Code, which includes both a Class and Division approach and a Zone approach, and equipment is typically tested by a recognised US laboratory. The operator's area classification is the deciding document.
Classification is site-specific, whatever the field's age. A wellsite, tank battery, compressor station or gas plant each has its own classification and drawings. Compare the IS-04Z1 target marking against each, and ask the operator about permit rules. Certification is still in progress.
Other guides for Texas Oil Fields, other places in United States, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.