Scale
The basin averaged 4.2 million barrels of crude a day in 2019 and has Midland and Delaware sub-basins separated by the Central Basin Platform.
The Permian Basin covers more than 86,000 square miles of West Texas and south-east New Mexico and is the highest-producing oil field in the United States. Zone 1 work arises at drilling rigs, wellsites, tank batteries, compressor stations and gas plants. A rugged mobile phone distributor in Permian Basin would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Permian Basin 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. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. 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 | Permian Basin: Compressor stations, Gas processing plants, Drilling rigs | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Permian Basin. 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 basin averaged 4.2 million barrels of crude a day in 2019 and has Midland and Delaware sub-basins separated by the Central Basin Platform.
Diamondback Energy is based in Midland and focuses on the Permian. ExxonMobil acquired Pioneer Natural Resources, a large Midland Basin acreage holder, on 3 May 2024.
The basin has three main parts: the Midland Basin to the east, the Delaware Basin to the west and the Central Basin Platform between them, covering about 86,000 square miles.
Today the basin is developed mainly through horizontal wells that target several stacked formations from one surface location, which concentrates activity on large multi-well pads.
About 80 percent of the basin's estimated reserves lie at depths of less than 10,000 feet, which is a useful figure when judging drilling and well-site activity.
The wider Permian Basin accounts for nearly 40 percent of United States oil production and nearly 15 percent of its natural gas, according to figures cited by the Texas Railroad Commission.
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 Permian Basin. The climate is hot and arid, and sites are spread over long distances, so vehicle-based access is normal. Dust and heat make IP68 sealing and sensible battery care relevant for a handheld. IP68 is an ingress rating only and does not replace the Ex marking needed for classified areas.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Permian Basin 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.
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 drilling rigs, wellsites and tank batteries, 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 Permian Basin.
Activity is very large and moves with oil prices, so service teams can be stretched. Book calibration, repair and training slots early, and keep spare units for field crews to avoid downtime.
The region is generally hot and dry in summer with dust, and cold snaps in winter. Look for dust-tight sealing, a wide operating temperature range and good battery behaviour, and verify details on the manufacturer's datasheet.
The climate is hot and arid and sites are spread out, so crews drive between them. Check battery behaviour in heat, keep chargers in vehicles or yards outside classified areas, and trial offline use where coverage is weak. IP68 helps with dust but is not explosion protection.
More on Permian Basin, and on other places in United States.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.