Complex refinery
CPCL's Manali refinery is rated at 10.5 million tonnes a year and includes crude distillation, hydrocracker, FCC, delayed coker and reforming units, plus lube and wax production.
Chennai's hazardous-area work centres on North Chennai, where Chennai Petroleum Corporation (CPCL) runs the Manali refinery and Kamarajar Port (Ennore) handles liquid and gas cargoes. Refining, lube and wax production and LNG handling create Zone 1 areas. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area), 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 Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area): pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area): Crude and product storage, Marine liquid terminal, LNG regasification | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Chennai India. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
CPCL's Manali refinery is rated at 10.5 million tonnes a year and includes crude distillation, hydrocracker, FCC, delayed coker and reforming units, plus lube and wax production.
Kamarajar Port, about 18 km north of Chennai Port, has a marine liquid terminal for petroleum, oils and chemicals and an Indian Oil LNG import terminal of 5 million tonnes a year.
The city had an estimated GDP of 196.5 billion US dollars in 2024 and a diversified industrial base, and ranks among the top export districts in India.
Chennai has a tropical climate with high humidity, the hottest period runs from April to June at 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, and the record high is 45 degrees.
India's Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation administers the Petroleum Rules of 2002 and the Explosives Rules of 2008, which govern storage and handling at refineries and depots.
Manali Petrochemicals, founded in 1986, is described as the only integrated polyol manufacturer in India and also makes propylene glycol and polyurethane systems.
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area). Turnarounds on process units such as crude distillation, FCC and delayed coker mean many short inspections across large plants. A handheld that is intrinsically safe by design lets inspectors photograph, scan and log findings without leaving the area. The IS-04Z1 is designed for that role, pending certification.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, lube base stock and wax plants, crude and product storage, marine liquid terminal. 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.
A refinery and petrochemical complex has process units, tank farms, loading gantries and feedstock lines, all with classified areas set by the operators. Confirm each operator's area classification and accepted equipment approvals before a visit.
Most rain and cyclones arrive between October and December, and low-lying areas can flood. Plan equipment deliveries and shutdown work outside that window where possible, and keep devices in sealed cases during transport.
Salt-laden humid air accelerates corrosion on ports, seals and contacts. An IP68 sealed design helps, and rinsing and routine inspection of seals remain good practice. Battery life also depends on heat. Ask the site's inspection team what cleaning and storage routines they expect for portable equipment.
Related guides for Chennai India and for India.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.