Extreme heat and humidity
Summer temperatures regularly exceed 50 C with humidity that can pass 90 per cent, which affects device thermal limits and battery life.
Basra is Iraq's southern oil hub and the base of the Basra Oil Company. Reconstruction projects funded by foreign investment include the Grand Faw Port, which has drawn global attention to the region's role as a transport hub. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area smartphone for Basra, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Basra: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Basra: Degassing and gathering stations, Wellheads and flowlines, Gas processing plants | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Basra. 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.
Summer temperatures regularly exceed 50 C with humidity that can pass 90 per cent, which affects device thermal limits and battery life.
Major fields are run by the state operator or joint operating organisations, and site entry is normally controlled through operator-issued permits.
The city is consistently one of the hottest on the planet, with summer temperatures regularly above 50 degrees Celsius, so heat management is a safety factor for outdoor work.
Southern terminals exported about 3.23 million barrels a day in December 2024, so tank farms, pump stations and metering systems are heavily used.
Basra Oil Company, headquartered in Basra, handles exploration, drilling, production, storage and export in the south and was previously known as the Iraqi South Oil Company.
Umm Qasr, Iraq's main deep-water port, opened in July 1967 and is linked by railway to Basra and Baghdad.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Basra. The area types around Basra include degassing and gathering stations, wellheads and flowlines, gas processing plants and crude storage and export terminals. Classification is carried out by the operator or its engineers, never by SAMS. Specifiers should obtain the zone drawing for the exact installation and treat the IS-04Z1 as a candidate only after certification.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Likely candidates are degassing and gathering stations, wellheads and flowlines, gas processing plants, crude storage and export terminals. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Summer temperatures regularly exceed 50 degrees Celsius, with high humidity near the coast. Devices should have a wide operating temperature range, and teams need heat plans for outdoor work.
Umm Qasr is Iraq's main deep-water port and is linked to Basra by railway; projects such as the Grand Faw Port are changing logistics in the area. Plan for customs and escort procedures with the operator's logistics team.
High ambient temperature shortens battery life and can limit the temperature range allowed on the certificate. Keep the phone out of direct sun, carry a spare charged in a safe area and read the permitted ambient range once the IS-04Z1 certificate exists. Confirm site rules with the operator.
Related guides for Basra and for Iraq.
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.