Zone 1 gas at refinery process units
Crude distillation, catalytic units and tank farms at Concón and Biobío are classified Zone 1 gas atmospheres, and Ex ib IIC T4 covers the hydrocarbon gas groups typical of refining service.
Chile · Oil & Gas / Refining
Explosion proof mobile phone for oil, gas and refining in Chile
An explosion proof mobile phone for oil, gas and refining in Chile has to suit a downstream sector that runs at opposite ends of the country's climate range: refining at Concón and Biobío in the temperate centre, and gas production in Magallanes, near the sub-Antarctic tip of South America. One national operator, two very different classified-area environments, plus a handful of terminals and plants in between. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · IECEx programme in progress
Local approvalSEC · IECExIECEx · SEC in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Why it fits oil, gas and refining
Built for a national operator spanning temperate refineries and sub-Antarctic gas fields
ENAP's refining and upstream gas operations sit thousands of kilometres apart under one operator, with climate conditions that range from mild coastal weather to some of the harshest cold in the hemisphere.
Extreme cold at Magallanes gas fields
Gas production in the Magallanes region operates in a sub-Antarctic climate with severe wind chill and sustained low temperatures, conditions that test battery performance and material flexibility well beyond what a temperate-zone refinery experiences.
One operator, two climate extremes
ENAP runs both the temperate-zone refineries and the far-southern gas fields, meaning a single device standard adopted company-wide needs to perform reliably across that full climate range rather than being optimised for one end of it.
Remote southern logistics
Magallanes gas operations are far from Chile's main population and supply centres, closer in character to a remote wellfield than an urban-adjacent refinery, which raises the value of a rugged, long-battery-life device.
Centrally managed across a geographically split operation
EMM and MDM enrolment supports ENAP managing devices consistently across refining and upstream gas operations separated by thousands of kilometres.
Who runs it
Oil, gas and refining operators in Chile
Chile's downstream and upstream hydrocarbons sector is run by a single state operator.
- ENAP (Empresa Nacional del Petróleo)
- State refining at Concón and Biobío; upstream gas production in the Magallanes region.
- Typical classified areas
- Refinery process units and tank farms; Magallanes wellhead and gathering facilities.
- Climate range
- Temperate coastal refining sites versus sub-Antarctic gas fields in the far south.
- Certification target
- IECEx Certificate of Conformity as the technical basis, with environmental testing addressing extreme cold-weather conditions.
Sites and hazards
Where an explosion proof mobile phone is carried in Chilean oil and gas
ENAP is the main name, and the explosion proof phone for ENAP page covers it in detail. Around it sit the import terminals, a methanol plant and the LPG and fuel distribution chain, which all create their own Zone 1 and Zone 2 situations.
Sites and operators
- Aconcagua refinery, Concón
- ENAP refinery in the Valparaíso Region.
- Bío Bío refinery, Hualpén
- ENAP refinery near Concepción.
- Quintero Bay
- Marine terminals and the Quintero LNG regasification terminal.
- Mejillones
- LNG import terminal serving northern generation and mining.
- Cabo Negro, Magallanes
- Marine terminal and a methanol plant operated by Methanex.
- Haru Oni, near Punta Arenas
- Pilot synthetic-fuel plant using wind power and hydrogen.
Classified situations
- Refinery process units
- Hydrocarbon vapour and hydrogen, so gas group IIC applies.
- LNG regasification
- Natural gas under pressure, with vaporisers and send-out pipework.
- Methanol storage and loading
- Methanol vapour, in gas group IIA, around tanks and transfer.
- Hydrogen and e-fuel pilots
- Hydrogen handling, a IIC gas, in a plant that is still in development.
- Fuel depots and LPG filling
- Gasoline vapour and LPG at storage and loading racks.
- Gas gathering in Magallanes
- Wellheads and field compressors on the southern gas fields.
How the work is organised
Import terminals, shutdowns and long southern distances
The sector is small in headcount compared with mining but dense in classified area. Work follows the ships, the planned shutdowns and, in Magallanes, the weather.
Terminals01
Ship arrival and cargo transfer
Quintero Bay and Mejillones handle gas, crude and product carriers. The operator on the jetty controls transfer, checks hoses and logs readings, and needs a handset that works in spray and does not have to be left at the gate.
Refining02
Planned unit turnarounds
A refinery's units are stopped on a planned cycle and contractors outnumber operators for weeks. Handset enrolment through a console the operator controls allows quick onboarding and quick removal.
Southern gas03
Methanol, gas and wind-fuel sites
Operations in Magallanes run in cold, wind and short winter daylight, far from central Chile. The sites are different in character, from field wells to a methanol plant, but each needs positions and photographs sent without leaving the classified area.
Questions · Oil & Gas / Refining
Frequently asked questions
Is the IS-04Z1 certified for use in Chile's oil and gas sector yet?
No. The device is pre-launch and certification, including IECEx, is still in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Does the device suit Magallanes' extreme cold?
Environmental durability testing is specified with sustained cold and wind-chill exposure in mind, though the certificate will state its exact test conditions once issued.
Does one device cover both refining and upstream gas operations?
Yes, the same Zone 1, Ex ib IIC T4 specification is intended to serve both ENAP's refinery process units and its Magallanes gas-field classified areas.
Is ENAP the only refiner in Chile?
ENAP operates the country's main refineries at Concón and Biobío; it is the dominant state-linked operator across both refining and upstream gas.
Is ENAP the only operator that needs an explosion proof phone in Chile?
No. Terminal operators, the methanol plant at Cabo Negro, LPG and fuel distributors and the new hydrogen projects all handle flammable gas or liquid. Each has its own procurement and HSE process, and none is described here as a customer.
Are hydrogen projects a different hazard class?
Hydrogen is a gas group IIC substance, the most demanding of the common groups, and the IS-04Z1 target marking is Ex ib IIC T4. A project's own area classification and equipment list decide what is accepted.
How should we approach a terminal operator?
Ask its HSE and procurement teams for the equipment approval route, and the marine terminal's own rules on portable electronic devices, which often differ from the shore plant.
Enquiry · Oil & Gas / Refining
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Oil & Gas / Refining, Chile
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Chile. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Enquiry · Oil & Gas / Refining
Launching Q4 2026
Evaluating the IS-04Z1 for this site?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.