DK1 rigs

The DK1 rigs, officially called "Scientific-Technological Economic Service Stations" are a collection of sea platforms built by Vietnam in the southern Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The rigs are complex steel structures composed of logistics and living facilities, manned by Vietnamese Navy personnel.[1]

DK1/10 - Cà Mau Shoals
Part of a series on the
Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands military occupations map
Related articles
Confrontations

Southwest Cay incident (1975)
Johnson South Reef skirmish (1988)
Military occupations
DK1/15 - Prince Consort Bank
DK1/15
DK1/10

Background

In response to the PRC's expansion into the South China Sea (SCS), in the mid 1980s the Socialist Republic of Vietnam predicted the need for it to protect itself. This led to the planning of, and in 1989, establishment of, the first DK1 rig.[2]

Rig locations
(Vietnamese) installations in the southwestern Spratlys (2015)

DK1 rigs have been established in seven localities in the southwestern Spratlys and on the continental shelf at:

  • Bãi cạn Tư Chính - Vanguard Bank
  • Bãi cạn Phúc Tần - Prince of Wales Bank
  • Bãi ngầm Ba Kè - Bombay Castle
  • Bãi cạn Phúc Nguyên - Prince Consort Bank
  • Bãi cạn Huyền Trân - Alexandra Bank
  • Bãi cạn Quế Đường - Grainger Bank
  • Bãi cạn Cà Mau - Off the coast of the Cà Mau peninsula - the southernmost piece of Vietnam

Rigs

A total of 20 rigs[3] have been built on the continental shelf in waters of depth from 7m (DK1/3) to 25m (DK1/15), from 1989 to 1998. Currently (2015) there are a total of 15 rigs in use. Facilities include 8 helicopter pads, 4 lighthouses, and a meteorological observatory. There are 14 rigs in the Spratly Islands, and one (DK1/10) in Ca Mau Shoals off the southwest coast of Vietnam.

Vanguard Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 3 rigs in use.

  • DK1/1: Completed 27 June 1989, is the 3rd construction. Currently not used.
  • DK1/5: Completed 2 November 1989, is the 4th rig built. Currently not used.
  • DK1/11: Completed 5 May 1994.
  • DK1/12: Completed 8 August 1994.
  • DK1/14: Completed 20 April 1995.

Prince of Wales Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 4 rigs in use.

  • DK1/3: Completed 15 June 1989, was the first rig completed. It collapsed on the night of 4 December 1990 during a heavy storm.
  • DK1/2: Completed 18 August 1993.
  • DK1/16: Completed 20 August 1996.
  • DK1/17: Completed 23 August 1996.
  • DK1/18: Completed 13 April 1997. This rig includes a lighthouse.

Rifleman Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 3 rigs in use.

  • DK1/4: Completed 16 June 1989, is the 2nd rig completed. It collapsed on the night of 4 December 1990 during a heavy storm.[4]
  • DK1/9: Completed 22 August 1993.[5]
  • DK1/20: Completed 13 August 1998.[6]
  • DK1/21: Completed 19 August 1998. This rig includes a lighthouse.[7]

Prince Consort Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 1 rig in use.

  • DK1/6: Completed 10 November 1990, is the 5th frame completed. It collapsed on the night of 4 December 1990 during a heavy storm.
  • DK1/15: Completed in April 1995.
  • 2A/DK1/6: Was completed 17 April 1995 using the foundations of the old DK1/6 rig. It collapsed during a storm on 13 December 1998.

Alexandra Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 1 rig in use.

  • DK1/7: Completed 11 November 1991. Includes a lighthouse and a meteorological observatory.

Grainger Bank

The current (2015) cluster has 2 rigs in use.

  • DK1/8: Completed 4 November 1991. Includes a lighthouse.
  • DK1/19: Completed 10 April 1997.

Ca Mau Shoals

The current (2015) cluster has 1 rig in use.

Summary
RigCompletedLocalityVicinityNotes
DK1/0127 Jun 1989Vanguard BankVanguard BankNot in use
DK1/0218 Aug 1993Prince of Wales BankSouthwest Banks
DK1/0315 Jun 1989Prince of Wales BankSouthwest BanksCollapsed 4 Dec 1990
DK1/0416 Jun 1989Bombay CastleRifleman BankCollapsed 4 Dec 1990
DK1/052 Nov 1989Vanguard BankVanguard BankNot in use
DK1/0610 Nov 1990Prince Consort BankSouthwest BanksCollapsed 4 Dec 1990
DK1/06/2A17 Apr 1995Prince Consort BankSouthwest BanksCollapsed 13 Dec 1998
DK1/0711 Nov 1991Alexandra BankSouthwest BanksIncludes a lighthouse and a meteorological observatory
DK1/084 Nov 1991Grainger BankSouthwest BanksIncludes a lighthouse
DK1/0922 Aug 1993Bombay CastleRifleman Bank
DK1/101994Ca Mau ShoalsCa Mau Shoals
DK1/115 May 1994Vanguard BankVanguard Bank
DK1/128 Aug 1994Vanguard BankVanguard Bank
DK1/1420 Apr 1995Vanguard BankVanguard Bank
DK1/15Apr 1995Prince Consort BankSouthwest Banks
DK1/1620 Aug 1996Prince of Wales BankSouthwest Banks
DK1/1723 Aug 1996Prince of Wales BankSouthwest Banks
DK1/1813 Apr 1997Prince of Wales BankSouthwest BanksIncludes a lighthouse
DK1/1910 Apr 1997Grainger BankSouthwest Banks
DK1/2013 Aug 1998Bombay CastleRifleman Bank
DK1/2119 Aug 1998Bombay CastleRifleman BankIncludes a lighthouse

See also

References
  1. "DK1 a live national sovereignty marker at sea". Vietnamnet. 26 Jul 2014.
  2. ""Magic eyes" on the East Sea". 5 Sep 2012. Retrieved 14 Apr 2015.
  3. 20 rigs - DK1/1-DK1/21, w/o DK1/13. DK1/6 was destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed again.
  4. "Photographs of DK1/4". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11.
  5. "Photographs of DK1/9". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11. close-up Archived 2015-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Photographs of DK1/20". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2014-06-06.
  7. "Photographs of DK1/21". hoangsa.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11.
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