Japan imports nearly all of its crude oil, so an explosion proof mobile phone for oil, gas and refining in Japan is mostly a question of refineries, terminals and a small domestic upstream sector. Refining is concentrated in a few large companies operating coastal plants, several of them the product of mergers. This page is for the HSE, instrumentation and telecoms people who set the rules for portable devices across a refining network. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety rather than a flameproof enclosure.
Launching Q4 2026 · IECEx and JIS programme in progress
Japan's refining industry has consolidated significantly through mergers over the past fifteen years, producing large national refiners that each operate multiple sites with different engineering histories.
Crude distillation, catalytic units and tank farms across Japan's refineries are classified Zone 1 gas atmospheres, and the device's Ex ib IIC T4 intrinsic safety targets the hydrocarbon gas groups typical of refining service.
Japan's domestic standards for explosion-protected equipment are referenced through the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) system, generally aligned with IEC standards but with its own certification and marking conventions that Japanese operators expect to see addressed directly.
Major refiners have formed through consolidation of previously independent companies, meaning a single refiner's sites can carry different legacy engineering conventions from their predecessor companies even under one current corporate name.
Japan's refineries are predominantly coastal, with tanker unloading and marine terminal facilities adding salt-air exposure and jetty classified areas to the equipment list.
EMM and MDM enrolment supports a refiner managing devices consistently across multiple sites with different operating histories from one console.
Refining is concentrated in a small number of large national companies, several formed through major consolidation.
Japan's refineries sit mainly on coastal industrial land around Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay, the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific coast. The companies include ENEOS, Idemitsu Kosan and Cosmo Oil, with domestic gas production led by JAPEX. A refinery divides into crude distillation, hydroprocessing, catalytic conversion, tank farms and marine berths, each with its own typical gas group and temperature class. Hydrogen units fall in Group IIC, while tank farms are usually Group IIA or IIB vapour. Japan's hazardous-area regime has its own certification and marking conventions alongside IECEx, so confirm with each operator which evidence it expects.
Outside operators walk fixed routes through units and tank farms and record readings. The handset replaces paper sheets, a radio and a camera, and each reading carries a time stamp and a position.
Planned shutdowns bring large contractor numbers into the plant for several weeks. A managed fleet lets the operator set one policy for camera, apps and permits across every crew.
Jetty staff work beside the ship's crew near classified areas. One intrinsically safe device, sealed against spray, simplifies the question of who may carry what at the manifold.
No. The device is pre-launch and certification, including IECEx and JIS-referenced marking, is still in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
IECEx is generally recognised as supporting technical evidence, but Japanese operators typically also expect JIS-referenced marking specific to the domestic system.
Not necessarily; sites that were part of different predecessor companies before a merger can retain some of their own legacy equipment conventions.
Yes, environmental testing and IP68 sealing are specified with marine and coastal terminal exposure in mind.
ENEOS, Idemitsu Kosan and Cosmo Oil are the main refiners. Company pages for ENEOS and Idemitsu Kosan are on this site, along with the JAPEX upstream page.
No. Each operator, and often each site, keeps its own approvals and reviews the evidence separately.
Groups IIA and IIB are common for hydrocarbon vapours, while hydrogen is Group IIC. The IS-04Z1 marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, subject to the certificate once issued.
Not by definition. Intrinsic safety, Ex ib, is a recognised protection concept for portable devices in Zone 1, and the operator's classification and procedures decide what is accepted.
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 Japan. 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.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.
