Amboyna Cay, Rifleman Bank, Barque Canada Reef, Vietnam
We are in the western reaches of the Spratly Islands, roughly in the center from north to south. These formations lie closest to Vietnam (to the northwest), Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the east, and the Philippines to the northeast. These formations we will cover stretch along a line west stretching 365 miles from the southernmost point of Palawan. They all show as being developed and operated by Vietnam.
We start at two marked but not visible formations furthest to the west, then Rifleman Bank, Amboyna Cay and Barque Canada Reef.
This line of formations stretches east through the Ardasier Bank and to the southern tip of the Philippine island of Palawan. It includes at least 13 major features in the water.
We start at two marked but not visible formations furthest to the west, then Rifleman Bank, Amboyna Cay and Barque Canada Reef.
This line of formations stretches east through the Ardasier Bank and to the southern tip of the Philippine island of Palawan. It includes at least 13 major features in the water.
Center west Spratly Islands covered in this webpage. Google Earth
Alexandra Bank is a tiny spot, submerged, east of Rifleman Bank. It is called Huyen Tran and is not visible on Google Earth, but it is labeled. Google Earth has a picture of an oil well at that spot, but nothing is visible from the satellite imagery.
Grainger Bank
Just east of Alexandra Bank we see Grainger Bank, a.k.a., Qua Duong (Vietnamese) which is not visible in Google Earth, but there is a picture of an oil / gas rig in the description in Google Earth.
Vanguard Bank is in the same area, and is also not visible via Google Earth, but we can access a publicly available photograph of oil and gas rigs for that location. According to a news article in e.vnexpress.net, Vietnam is building a series of natural gas rigs around Vanguard, Alexandra and Grainger Banks and conducting successful oil and gas exploration activities. Vietnam claims this area as being within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and is also claimed by the PRC.
Grainger Bank
Just east of Alexandra Bank we see Grainger Bank, a.k.a., Qua Duong (Vietnamese) which is not visible in Google Earth, but there is a picture of an oil / gas rig in the description in Google Earth.
Vanguard Bank is in the same area, and is also not visible via Google Earth, but we can access a publicly available photograph of oil and gas rigs for that location. According to a news article in e.vnexpress.net, Vietnam is building a series of natural gas rigs around Vanguard, Alexandra and Grainger Banks and conducting successful oil and gas exploration activities. Vietnam claims this area as being within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and is also claimed by the PRC.
Rifleman Bank, a.k.a., Vung May (Vietnamese)
Rifleman Bank is a 30.5 mile long atoll that is submerged, with three permanent infrastructure elements to land helicopters and conduct reclamation efforts.
At the Southwestern tip of Rifleman Bank we see a pair of infrastructure connected by a bridge. Location: 7°32'02"N 111°32’57”E. One looks like a helipad. Date of satellite photo: May 1, 2018. North of that location at the top of the reef, we see another pair of infrastructure, and at the time there was a ship just south of this location 7°52'30"N 111°44’41"E. We have a third pair of infrastructure in the middle and on the east side of the reef. Location: 7°42'11"N 111°45’08"E.
Rifleman Bank is unmarked and unoccupied on the Maxar Xpress map, and shows as a large atoll that is completely submerged (no infrastructure and no ownership).
Rifleman Bank is a 30.5 mile long atoll that is submerged, with three permanent infrastructure elements to land helicopters and conduct reclamation efforts.
At the Southwestern tip of Rifleman Bank we see a pair of infrastructure connected by a bridge. Location: 7°32'02"N 111°32’57”E. One looks like a helipad. Date of satellite photo: May 1, 2018. North of that location at the top of the reef, we see another pair of infrastructure, and at the time there was a ship just south of this location 7°52'30"N 111°44’41"E. We have a third pair of infrastructure in the middle and on the east side of the reef. Location: 7°42'11"N 111°45’08"E.
Rifleman Bank is unmarked and unoccupied on the Maxar Xpress map, and shows as a large atoll that is completely submerged (no infrastructure and no ownership).
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Amboyna Cay, Vietnam
Amboyna Cay (Anbo Shozhoa) is 70 miles E of Rifleman Bank. It is labeled Dao An Bang and a Vietnamese island (Maxar Xpress). It is a Vietnamese occupied island / cay with about a dozen buildings and a helipad. It is undergoing land reclamation (getting larger) on the southern end, and the cay lies on the southern tip of the significantly larger coral reef.
Satellite imagery: 05/1/2020, but is a little blurry. The buildings have rectangles on the roof, which are either solar panels or open roofs. Poor focus on this satellite image. Location: 7°53'29"N 112°55'16"E. Length of the development is 0.1 miles, and including the sandy bit to the South, 0.14 miles. This is a very small island that looks to have a about 15 buildings atop each other. It almost looks deserted to us.
This island is located 262 miles from Miri, Malaysia.
Amboyna Cay (Anbo Shozhoa) is 70 miles E of Rifleman Bank. It is labeled Dao An Bang and a Vietnamese island (Maxar Xpress). It is a Vietnamese occupied island / cay with about a dozen buildings and a helipad. It is undergoing land reclamation (getting larger) on the southern end, and the cay lies on the southern tip of the significantly larger coral reef.
Satellite imagery: 05/1/2020, but is a little blurry. The buildings have rectangles on the roof, which are either solar panels or open roofs. Poor focus on this satellite image. Location: 7°53'29"N 112°55'16"E. Length of the development is 0.1 miles, and including the sandy bit to the South, 0.14 miles. This is a very small island that looks to have a about 15 buildings atop each other. It almost looks deserted to us.
This island is located 262 miles from Miri, Malaysia.
Amboyna cay, Dao An Bang, Google Earth 5/1/2020.
Barque Canada Reef (Vietnam?)
Barque Canada Reef, a.k.a., Bai Thuyen Chai in Vietnam, is 24.5 miles NE of Amboyna Cay.
We question full Vietnamese maintenance and operation as this long, thin coral atoll, 17.8 miles long and stretches SW to NE, as a major island reclamation labeled Dao Thuyen Chai (Maxar Xpress), and three permanent, land reclamation structures or navigation aids installed. We see them in Maxar Xpress and Google Earth. These are set on the north, south and central western side of the atoll. The presence of three reclamation infrastructures on this island makes this seem a candidate for future reclamation activities and development.
The three permanent structures (not the island) are labeled as satellite / navigation radars, and are marked in Chinese. Could this be a jointly managed atoll?
Barque Canada Reef has a slightly cleared path through the coral reef. 5/12/2020 photo. Location: 8°16'06"N 113°21'26"E. The northern tip at location 8°04'34"N 113°13’37"E. The center west, near a channel through the reef. Location: 8°09'12"N 113°17’01”E. Date 4/5/2019. Other spots have imagery from 2015.
According to Radio Free Asia, here, this reef will look vastly different as there has been a large land reclamation effort underway. Current Maxar Xpress visualizations have it looking like an island.
Barque Canada Reef, a.k.a., Bai Thuyen Chai in Vietnam, is 24.5 miles NE of Amboyna Cay.
We question full Vietnamese maintenance and operation as this long, thin coral atoll, 17.8 miles long and stretches SW to NE, as a major island reclamation labeled Dao Thuyen Chai (Maxar Xpress), and three permanent, land reclamation structures or navigation aids installed. We see them in Maxar Xpress and Google Earth. These are set on the north, south and central western side of the atoll. The presence of three reclamation infrastructures on this island makes this seem a candidate for future reclamation activities and development.
The three permanent structures (not the island) are labeled as satellite / navigation radars, and are marked in Chinese. Could this be a jointly managed atoll?
Barque Canada Reef has a slightly cleared path through the coral reef. 5/12/2020 photo. Location: 8°16'06"N 113°21'26"E. The northern tip at location 8°04'34"N 113°13’37"E. The center west, near a channel through the reef. Location: 8°09'12"N 113°17’01”E. Date 4/5/2019. Other spots have imagery from 2015.
According to Radio Free Asia, here, this reef will look vastly different as there has been a large land reclamation effort underway. Current Maxar Xpress visualizations have it looking like an island.
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Area
Name 1
Nearest Land
Distance from Land (miles)
Location (latitude & longitude)
Diameter (miles)
Date of Satellite Imagery
Airport Present?
Helipad Present?
Port / Dock Facility Present?
Buildings Present?
Defensive Infrastructure Present?
Athletic Facilities Present?
Hospital Present?
Sand Only Island?
Dredging Infrastructure Only?
Spratly Islands
Amboyna Cay
Malaysia
262
7°53'29"N 112°55'16"E
0.1
5/1/2020
No
Yes
Yes (small)
Yes
Not sure
No
No
No
No
Name 1
Nearest Land
Distance from Land (miles)
Location (latitude & longitude)
Diameter (miles)
Date of Satellite Imagery
Airport Present?
Helipad Present?
Port / Dock Facility Present?
Buildings Present?
Defensive Infrastructure Present?
Athletic Facilities Present?
Hospital Present?
Sand Only Island?
Dredging Infrastructure Only?
Spratly Islands
Amboyna Cay
Malaysia
262
7°53'29"N 112°55'16"E
0.1
5/1/2020
No
Yes
Yes (small)
Yes
Not sure
No
No
No
No
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