Con Dao and Vanguard Bank, Vietnam
Updated August 19, 2024
South of Vietnam, 52.6 miles from the coast, is a lush collection of eleven, green, well developed and permanently inhabited island communities called Con Dao. These extend SSE from where the Song Hau, or the Hau River, meets the ocean. Not all islands may have permanent inhabitants.
We see beautiful sport fishing location and businesses, with ample housing, winding paved roads around the main island. The main island, Con Dao, has a thriving, dense residential and commercial area. Downtown is on the Southeastern coast of the island. There are islands East, West and South of the downtown. There is a sheltered cove with ample marina facilities.
This looks like a thriving set of island with roads, schools, many places to live and work, with lush greenery around the island. We also see agriculture to help this be a self-sustaining island.
We see an airport, Cang Hang khong, Con Dao, on the Northern end of the main island. It is a long runway, stretching from sea to sea 1.15 miles in length. We see a small, open air place for aircraft and three maintenance and aircraft storage buildings at the fixed airbase. We also see a heliport and a control tower.
Satellite imagery from 7/11/2023 and from 7/9/2019 for the main island.
South of Vietnam, 52.6 miles from the coast, is a lush collection of eleven, green, well developed and permanently inhabited island communities called Con Dao. These extend SSE from where the Song Hau, or the Hau River, meets the ocean. Not all islands may have permanent inhabitants.
We see beautiful sport fishing location and businesses, with ample housing, winding paved roads around the main island. The main island, Con Dao, has a thriving, dense residential and commercial area. Downtown is on the Southeastern coast of the island. There are islands East, West and South of the downtown. There is a sheltered cove with ample marina facilities.
This looks like a thriving set of island with roads, schools, many places to live and work, with lush greenery around the island. We also see agriculture to help this be a self-sustaining island.
We see an airport, Cang Hang khong, Con Dao, on the Northern end of the main island. It is a long runway, stretching from sea to sea 1.15 miles in length. We see a small, open air place for aircraft and three maintenance and aircraft storage buildings at the fixed airbase. We also see a heliport and a control tower.
Satellite imagery from 7/11/2023 and from 7/9/2019 for the main island.
Con Dao, Vietnam island grouping from Google Earth, August 19, 2024. There are 11 islands in this grouping.
Area just south of the Con Dao airport.
Con Dao Airport, North of the island.
Downtown Con Dao and the harbor. Google Earth Satellite Imagery from 7/11/2023.
Vanguard Bank, a.k.a., Tu Chinh in Vietnamese.
Photographs and Locations: To Be Confirmed, may not be accurate.
Vanguard Bank is within 50 miles of two oil exploration contracts of Vietnam with two Russian firms. It is located 253 miles Southeast of Vung Tau, Vietnam. It is due west of Rifleman Bank. There is no visual from Google Earth, but we do see a picture of an oil exploration rig on social media that may be located here. According to unconfirmed news sources, within 50 miles there are two Russian-controlled oil exploration blocks that are being worked by PetroVietnam and Zarubezhneft (06-01, 12-11) and Gazprom (05-03). We read that Harbour Energy is exploring block 12W.
Block 06-01 was developed by BP and ConocoPhillips in the early 2000s to pipe natural gas to Vietnam's mainland and meet domestic demand. That field, called Lan Do, is now operated by Rosneft, and was the site of new well drilling in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to maintain natural gas supply. PRC has been sailing in and around this area for over a decade, and this caused a significant relationship issue between Vietnam and PRC in 2019.
The Tuna gas field in Indonesia's EEZ, is being jointly developed (but currently suspended) by Harbour Energy and Zarubezhneft.
We know about Vanguard Bank due to 2023 freedom of navigation patrols by Chinese Coast Guard ships that are followed by Vietnamese naval ships.
Source: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute Perspective, Issue 2019, No. 69, ISSN 2335-6677 Singapore, 4 September 2019.
Photographs and Locations: To Be Confirmed, may not be accurate.
Vanguard Bank is within 50 miles of two oil exploration contracts of Vietnam with two Russian firms. It is located 253 miles Southeast of Vung Tau, Vietnam. It is due west of Rifleman Bank. There is no visual from Google Earth, but we do see a picture of an oil exploration rig on social media that may be located here. According to unconfirmed news sources, within 50 miles there are two Russian-controlled oil exploration blocks that are being worked by PetroVietnam and Zarubezhneft (06-01, 12-11) and Gazprom (05-03). We read that Harbour Energy is exploring block 12W.
Block 06-01 was developed by BP and ConocoPhillips in the early 2000s to pipe natural gas to Vietnam's mainland and meet domestic demand. That field, called Lan Do, is now operated by Rosneft, and was the site of new well drilling in 2017, 2018 and 2019 to maintain natural gas supply. PRC has been sailing in and around this area for over a decade, and this caused a significant relationship issue between Vietnam and PRC in 2019.
The Tuna gas field in Indonesia's EEZ, is being jointly developed (but currently suspended) by Harbour Energy and Zarubezhneft.
We know about Vanguard Bank due to 2023 freedom of navigation patrols by Chinese Coast Guard ships that are followed by Vietnamese naval ships.
Source: ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute Perspective, Issue 2019, No. 69, ISSN 2335-6677 Singapore, 4 September 2019.
Google Earth photo when searching Vanguard Bank, Vietnam
Google Earth photo when searching Vanguard Bank, Vietnam
Another way to triangulate the position of the oil and gas exploration is to use the block numbers: 06-01, 05-03, 12-11 and 12W (TBC). Here are three locations where the CCG #5901 were patrolling, that are likely in the area of the oil and gas exploration facilities (source: SeaLight Project):
- 7.4750 N, 109.4517 E to 6.9300N, 108.8400E
- 7.1754 N, 108.4593 E
- 6.7498 N, 109.1638 E, 6.7400 N, 109.1517E
Yet another identifier is from the CIL.NUS.EDU.SG website.
7.31.44.93"N, 109.44.39.74"E, and is classified as a collection of submerged coral platforms in the southwestern Spratlys. It is located 220 nautical miles SE of Vietnam, 300NM NW of Borneo and over 400 NM SW of Palawan.
We cannot see these drilling platforms from Google Earth. We did discover there were small specks of dirt on our monitors, and we at first thought they could be the islands...but they were not.
There are no geographic features. It is difficult to impossible to see these underseas formations from commercial satellites.
- 7.4750 N, 109.4517 E to 6.9300N, 108.8400E
- 7.1754 N, 108.4593 E
- 6.7498 N, 109.1638 E, 6.7400 N, 109.1517E
Yet another identifier is from the CIL.NUS.EDU.SG website.
7.31.44.93"N, 109.44.39.74"E, and is classified as a collection of submerged coral platforms in the southwestern Spratlys. It is located 220 nautical miles SE of Vietnam, 300NM NW of Borneo and over 400 NM SW of Palawan.
We cannot see these drilling platforms from Google Earth. We did discover there were small specks of dirt on our monitors, and we at first thought they could be the islands...but they were not.
There are no geographic features. It is difficult to impossible to see these underseas formations from commercial satellites.
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?
South Vietnam
Con Dao
Vietnam
53
8°41'19"N 106°36'20"E
9.4
12/8/2022
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Not Sure
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?
South Vietnam
Con Dao
Vietnam
53
8°41'19"N 106°36'20"E
9.4
12/8/2022
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Not Sure
No
No