Refining
The 15 refineries can process almost 3 million barrels of crude a day, and three of them rank among the ten largest in the United States, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Louisiana has 15 oil refineries, about one-sixth of US refining capacity, plus a Mississippi River industrial corridor and four operating LNG export terminals. Zone 1 and Zone 21 areas arise at refinery units, petrochemical plants, LNG trains and storage across the state. A rugged mobile phone distributor in Louisiana would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Louisiana 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP65 to IP68 sealing | IP68 design |
| Drop and shock | A stated drop height onto concrete | Specification on request |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Louisiana: LNG liquefaction and loading, Tank farms and terminals, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Louisiana. 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.
The 15 refineries can process almost 3 million barrels of crude a day, and three of them rank among the ten largest in the United States, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
In 2024 the four operating Louisiana terminals handled three-fifths of US LNG exports. Sabine Pass is the largest US operating terminal, at about 35 per cent of national LNG exports.
Louisiana has 14 operable refineries with about 3.0 million barrels a day of crude capacity, around 17 percent of the US total and second only to Texas.
The Mississippi River runs about 600 miles through the state to the Gulf, and the low alluvial coastal region of swamp, marsh and barrier islands covers around 12,350 square miles.
Chemical products and petroleum and coal products are among the main contributors to Louisiana's gross state product, alongside food, transport equipment and paper.
The stretch of river between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is home to more than 140 chemical plants and refineries, with new plants added where cheap natural gas meets international port access.
A rugged phone is built to survive water, dust, drops and rough handling, usually rated by an IP code and a drop specification. Ruggedness is an environmental property: it says nothing about whether a phone may be used where flammable gas or dust is present. That is decided by explosion-protection certification and marking.
The IS-04Z1 combines both: an IP68 sealed rugged build and a design for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4). The explosion-protection certificates are in progress and none has been issued.
In Louisiana. The state has a subtropical, humid climate and the highest annual rainfall of the lower 48 states, and most refineries are in the south and exposed to storms. IP68 suits that rain and dust, but it is a different property from explosion protection, which is judged by the Ex marking and certificates still in progress.
A distributor for Louisiana would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
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.
It is designed to IP68 sealing, with glove-friendly controls. Ruggedness is not explosion protection: that depends on the certificates, which are in progress.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, petrochemical plants, lng liquefaction and loading, tank farms and 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 Louisiana.
Yes, Louisiana's political subdivisions are called parishes, so local permits, emergency planning and site addresses are organised by parish. This matters when preparing paperwork for a plant in, for example, St. Charles or Calcasieu Parish.
Southern Louisiana has long hot summers with nights above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and frequent downpours, so look for sealed, water-resistant devices with an operating range that covers summer plant temperatures. Check the datasheet figures instead of relying on general claims.
Louisiana is humid and has very high rainfall, with storm exposure in the south. IP68 helps against water ingress, but connectors and chargers still need to be kept clean and dry, and charging belongs in safe areas. Ask each site about storm shutdown procedures for portable equipment.
More on Louisiana, 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.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.