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Oil & gas

Offshore platforms, refineries, terminals. Where the explosion-proof iPhone started.

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The hazard

Where the hazard is

Hydrocarbon gas is released at sample points, drains and seal vents in normal operation, putting the process module in Zone 1. With a certified iPhone, the camera, permit and call to the control room stay with the operator all shift, and on an iPad they can open the P&ID at the valve.

Process and wellhead areas

Methane disperses upwards, but propane, butane and condensate vapour sink into drains and the cellar deck. Zone 1 at primary release points.

Tank storage and loading

Vapour leaves the vents as tanks fill and as the sun warms the roof, and escapes at each loading arm disconnection. Zone 1 outdoors.

Refinery units

Mostly Zone 2, with Zone 1 at open drains and vents. The hazard rises in turnarounds, when equipment that held hydrocarbons is opened.

The cost today

What the two-device routine costs

Most sites solve the zone boundary with a second device: a legacy Ex phone with a small screen, a weak camera and its own app catalogue. The cost rarely shows up on an invoice. It shows up as photos that get retaken, readings written down and typed in later, and calls that wait until someone is back in the safe area.

  • Two devices, two loginsOne for the office, one for the zone. Neither talks to the other.
  • Paper between zone and deskReadings and checklists re-typed after the round, with the errors that brings.
  • Grainy photos, no videoLegacy cameras cannot show the problem well enough for onshore or the vendor to help.
  • Apps that do not existYour MES, CMMS or Teams have no version for the rugged handset.

The shift

One device. Every zone on the platform.

Walk from the control room to the wellhead and the zone classification changes three times. The phone in your pocket does not. Select an area to see what changes and what stays the same.

Zone 1Zone 2Non-hazardous

    The work

    What your team does with it

    • Inspection rounds with photo and video Document a leak, a reading or a corrosion spot on the spot. 48 MP camera, LiDAR, no separate device.
    • Work permits and checklists in the field Open the permit, tick the isolation, sign off. Whatever your permit system runs on.
    • Video call to the control room or onshore Show the problem instead of describing it. Teams, FaceTime or your own tool.
    • P&IDs and drawings at the equipment Zoom into the drawing where the valve is, not in the office.
    • Lone worker and communication Standard phone functions inside Zone 1. Your MDM controls what is allowed.
    Xshielder enclosure with iPhone

    Your systems

    Works with what you already run

    It is a standard iPhone or iPad. Your existing systems run as they are. No ruggedised OS, no separate app store, no retraining.

    • SAP PM
    • IFS
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Visco
    • AVEVA
    • Cognite

    The offer

    What Xshielder provides

    Not a rugged phone with a small app store. A certified enclosure around the iPhone and iPad your people already know, delivered ready for Zone 1.

    Xshielder enclosure for iPhone 17 Pro Max, front and back
    ATEX and IECEx Zone 1/21

    Phone and enclosure certified together as one unit. Certificates and documentation ready for your HSE file.

    Standard Apple devices

    iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17 and iPad Pro 11". Same iOS, same apps, same MDM your IT already runs.

    Delivered assembled

    Arrives ready to hand out. No field assembly, no user-serviceable parts, certification intact.

    Camera and LiDAR intact

    Photo, video and LiDAR work through the enclosure. We test it and publish the results.

    Enterprise ready

    Apple Business Manager and your MDM. Lock it to camera-only or open it up fully.

    Built to stay in service

    Apple's long update cycle and our support keep devices in the field for years, not seasons.

    Trusted by field teams at Aker BP, ConocoPhillips and Vår Energi. Read the Aker BP case study

    Rolling out iPhones offshore?

    Tell us how many users and which installations. We will come back with a device count, a delivery plan and a price.

    Contact us