
The Enclave Oil Rig, officially Control Station ENCLAVE, is a location in Fallout 2.
The headquarters of the West Coast Enclave from just after the nuclear apocalypse up to 2241, it serves as one of the organization's most highly secured operational hubs on and around the former American landscape.[4] Before the Great War, the rig was officially known to the American public as a deep sea drilling platform constructed by Poseidon Energy and built over an underwater oil deposit in the Pacific Ocean, 175 miles off the coast of California.[6]
Background[]
Pre-War[]
Constructed during the height of tensions in the Resource Wars and before the Great War, the oil rig was publicly portrayed as a deep sea drilling platform based in the Pacific Ocean, 175 miles off the coast of the continental state of California.[7] According to the Sierra Depot GNN transcript, the United States won the international race to establish a platform at the location in January 2073, after which the Chinese accused the US of sabotaging their own claim to the site.[8] The oil deposit was originally thought to be unreachable, due to it being located thousands of feet below the seabed.
- It is claimed that the Oil Rig is built over the last known source of oil. However, this information comes from the Sierra Depot GNN transcript, which is an unreliable source. That said, presuming the oil rig was operating as an oil rig, it could still be the case that it is one of the last (if not the last) available sources of oil[9]
By March 2077, with the world heading directly for nuclear confrontation, the incumbent President of the United States and other members of his cabinet, most of whom were members of the Enclave deep state, retreated to various fortified areas around the globe. Poseidon Energy's oil rig in the Pacific was chosen as a secret base from which the USA could continue to exist and wage war on China,[Non-game 2] with the eventual goal of retaking the post-nuclear continental United States. Other members of the Enclave retreated to remote locations in other parts of the world, but when the bombs hit, they lost all contact with the main group.
Enclave base[]
As the world burned and the sociopolitical structure of the United States disintegrated, its president and the Enclave, now all that remained of their shadow government,[10][Non-game 3][11] established themselves as the heralds of its continuation, claiming authority over the irradiated ruins of America.
In late 2077, not long before the Great War, the oil rig received schematics for X-01 power armor and Vertibirds from the Whitespring Congressional Bunker.[12]
Destruction[]
In 2242, the Chosen One commandeered an oil tanker and set off from the Enclave base at Navarro to storm the oil rig in order to save his kidnapped tribesmen of Arroyo as well as the previous inhabitants of Vault 13, with the defeat of the Enclave as a secondary goal. Aided by his allies including the super mutant Marcus,[13] the Chosen One completed his mission of saving the hostages, killing Enclave President Dick Richardson and Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan in the process while ensuring the destruction of the oil rig by overloading its primary reactor and causing a 100-kiloton thermonuclear explosion.[14] This had the domino effect of preventing President Richardson's plan to release FEV Curling-13 into the world's jet streams, projected as capable of killing all wastelanders and setting the stage for the Enclave's colonization.
The surviving members of the Enclave who either escaped or were off-site when the oil rig was destroyed never learned the full truth, and what was known was limited on details.[15][16][Non-game 4]
Overview[]
![]() Part of a series on |
the Enclave |
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Game articles |
Fallout 2 · Fallout 3 · Fallout: New Vegas · Fallout 4 · Fallout 76 |
Politics and history |
History of the Enclave · President Eckhart · President Richardson · President Eden · AEC |
Assets |
Enclave uniforms · Oil Rig · The Whitespring bunker · Raven Rock · Secret Service · Chem. Corps |
Technology |
Advanced and Enclave power armor · EnclaveNet · Enclave Radio · FEV Curling-13 · MODUS and SODUS · Kovac-Muldoon Platform · Mutations · Multi-generational starship · Vertibird |
Other |
Characters · Locations |
Its true nature deliberately concealed from the general public, Poseidon Energy's Pacific oil rig was, in fact, Control Station ENCLAVE, a cutting-edge military communications hub equipped with industrial facilities and top-notch medical technology, completely self-sufficient and acting as the perfect foundation for the Enclave's post-nuclear power base. Not only serving as their headquarters,[17][18] it was able to maintain connections to other Enclave, military and corporate facilities via PoseidoNet (though apparently the oil rig's PoseidoNet software was a trial version that ceased function in 2079).[19]
The standard computer unit used on the Enclave oil rig was a DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal,[20] while operating systems used on the platform included Fenestra '98,[21] Apricot OS,[22] and Vault-Tec's proprietary OS.[23]
Power[]
With the anticipated collapse of the US power grid during the Great War, the oil rig was equipped to be powered self-sufficiently by a Vault-Tec patented, uranium-based nuclear reactor. The entire process was automated thanks to a supercomputer running recently invented synchronized multi-processors on a tri-processor motherboard, which carefully regulated coolant temperature, intake of seawater for cooling, expending hot water and waste from it, as well as regulating the neutron bombardment on the uranium fuel rods. Seawater was pumped from 500 meters depth, used both to move the turbines and cool the core.[14]
Radiated water and miscellaneous toxic byproducts of the operation were disposed of through a waste conduit, terminating one mile south of the rig with the knock-on effect of causing irreversible ecological damage to the coasts of southern California and Mexico. The biggest flaw in the system was that even the slightest disruption in the supercomputer's operations would lead to a 100-kiloton nuclear explosion within two hours due to an uncontrolled bombardment of the uranium isotopes. The loss of power would also severely cripple the oil rig, as energy intensive systems (such as force fields) would shut down and watertight doors would close to prevent any flooding.[14] Additionally, manually retracting the containment rods would trigger the same reaction, with no way to restore control, as putting them down to slow down the reaction would overheat the reactor.[24]
Compounding these problems was the fact that, after over 160 years of constant use, by 2241 the reactor was left in a shoddy state, constantly breaking down and suffering numerous radiation leaks. As a result, Enclave personnel stationed on the rig were instructed to be mindful of the nearest Rad-X supply or sealed shelter, and ensure the upkeep of regular reactor alarms as well as frequent readiness drills and emergency system tests.[25][26]
Defenses[]
As a military base with access to the full resources of the pre-War US, the oil rig was augmented with heavy defenses including external guns to protect against seaborne threats (i.e. everything without a Poseidon IFF transponder).[27] The rig also had a significant number of transport Vertibirds comprising its fleet. Internally, apart from Enclave soldiers outfitted with advanced power armor, an extensive network of security turrets (dual .223 caliber miniguns) and sentry robots was present, ready to neutralize any foe. By all estimates, at the peak of the Enclave's power, the oil rig was the single most well-protected location in post-nuclear America.
Industrial and scientific facilities[]
The oil rig's scientific facilities were outfitted with cutting edge pre-War technology. Equipment present in them included infrared spectrometers and gear for synthesizing compounds - in vast quantities, if need be.[28]
Inhabitants[]
The Enclave would have their members believe that the oil rig was home to America's finest minds and people, at least in theory. In practice, years of isolation and propaganda have left the citizens of the Enclave decadent, xenophobic and extremely dangerous to outsiders, with the worst of it coming from the organization's heavily armed soldiery.
According to Dr. Curling, by 2241 there were approximately 1,000 inhabitants on the oil rig.[29] Most regular inhabitants tended to suffer from a pale complexion due to the lack of natural sunlight but otherwise keeping in good health.[30]
The rig's citizens typically wore blue and yellow jumpsuits, identical in design to the jumpsuits given to Vault dwellers, and carried no weaponry. Members of the science division wore lab coats and carried personal defense weapons (usually a Wattz 1000 laser pistol), while the military (including the Secret Service) used T-51b power armor and M72 Gauss rifles (lower-ranking soldiers) or advanced power armor and various heavy duty weapons. The president and vice president could be easily identified by their pre-War suits and lack of armaments; the president in particular carried what was probably the most important asset on the oil rig: the presidential access key, giving him full control over the systems of the drilling platform.
By 2236, the Enclave had started expanding its operations to the mainland. Concern over foreign intervention contributed to security drills as a regular feature of life on the oil rig.[31] Evening entertainment usually consisted of various safety movies.[32]
Layout[]
The massive structure of the oil rig contributed to the belief that it supported many facilities for industrial manufacturing, research and development, and Vertibird maintenance. The schematic below shows the area flow. Once the reactor is sabotaged, a special evacuation stairwell opens from the presidential level to the barracks, while access to detention/research and the access corridor is sealed off.
Dock | Entry hall | Barracks | |||||||||||||||||||
Detention/Research | |||||||||||||||||||||
Access corridor | |||||||||||||||||||||
Presidential | |||||||||||||||||||||
Reactor | |||||||||||||||||||||
Dock[]

Welcome to the Enclave
The entrance to the rig, a large dock illuminated with yellow spotlights. Every arriving vessel docks here, and the PMV Valdez is no exception.
Entry hall[]

The entrance hall of the rig, lined with powerful auto-turrets that are designed to obliterate everything and everyone foolish enough to attempt an attack on the installation. The main hall's floor is a massive relief with the word "Enclave" stamped on it, with a small access terminal in the lower left corner. The hall connects via a spiral staircase to the detention/R&D level and the barracks, via a passageway with a waiting room. The final battle with Frank Horrigan is fought here.
Barracks[]

Connected to the entrance hall, the barracks area housed a storeroom, where T-51b power armors were used instead of forklifts, troop housing (together with a large gym and lavatories), an armory stocked with explosives, the admin section for the soldiers and their CO's living quarters. A spiral staircase sealed behind flood doors connected to the presidential level.
Loot |
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Storeroom:
Security room:
Lounge: Barracks:
Admin: Armory:
CO quarters:
Presidential security checkpoint: |
Detention and research level[]

Houses the prison cells used to contain the Arroyo villagers and the people from Vault 13. Also contains several small labs and medical facilities, and storage areas. It is located south of the entry hall and connects to the trap room.
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Access corridor[]

A series of small rooms with computer-controlled doors and an electrified floor. Unless the right combination of computers are accessed, the doors will trap the unfortunate explorer and leave them at the mercy of the floors. Two small side rooms provide storage and a reprieve from the traps. A GECK can be found here in the northeastern room in the left survival locker in the back Survival Gear room. It is south of the detention level and connects to the presidential level.
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Presidential level[]

Home to the offices of President Dick Richardson, Vice President Daniel Bird, Richardson's secretary, and the Enclave's other elite. It also contains a bomb, a war room, a conference room and medical facilities where testing on the FEV is being done. A rear staircase connects it to the reactor level, and an emergency stairwell connects it to the detention level.
Colonel Doctor Charles Curling has his office at the northwestern end. Talking to him gives an opportunity for the Chosen One to convince him that humans on the mainland are part of the same species as the Enclave, potentially triggering a crisis of conscience that leads him to dumping FEV Curling-13 into the ventilation. This will kill off all non-protected personnel (i.e. civilians and scientists, except for named characters) within 30 minutes, allowing the player to loot them with impunity. He will inoculate the Chosen One and use an aerosolized inoculation on the imprisoned tribesmen and vault dwellers, so that they aren't affected. Equipment present included infrared spectrometers and gear for synthesizing compounds.[28]
Reactor level[]

The deepest level of the rig, houses the central computer, the rig's power generators, a small barracks and several scientists and citizens to maintain the former two. It is only accessible by a staircase on the presidential level.
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List of inhabitants[]
Img | Name | Dialogue file | Description | Clothing | Proto | Location | ||||
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Arroyo elder | AHELDER.MSG | Leader of Arroyo (TH) | Brown robe | 00000013 | Enclave Oil Rig/ Arroyo village | ||||
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Charles Curling | QCCURLNG.MSG | Head of the United States Chemical Corps. | Scientist outfit | 00000295 | Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Daniel Bird | QCBIRD.MSG | Vice-president of the United States. | Smoking | 00000294 | Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Dick Richardson | Qhprzrch.msg | President of the United States. TH | Smoking | 00000293 | Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Frank Horrigan | QCFRANK.MSG | genetically engineered Secret Service agent. TH | Frank Horrigan's armor | 00000288 00000483 (death scene) |
Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Granite | QCGRANIT.MSG | Leader of the Enclave Control Company Squad. | Advanced power armor Mk II | 00000291 | Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Martin Frobisher | QCMARTIN.MSG | Vault 13 jumpsuit | 00000267 | Enclave Oil Rig | |||||
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Secretary | QCPRSSEC.MSG | Dick Richardson's secretary | Nice lady outfit | 00000093 | Enclave Oil Rig | ||||
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Tom Murray | QCMURRAY.MSG | Head of the Atomic Energy Commission. | Scientist outfit | 00000088 | Enclave Oil Rig |
Unnamed | |||||
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Arroyo villager | Enclave citizen | Enclave communications officer | Enclave Control Company | Enclave scientist | Enclave soldier |
Vault 13 prisoner |
Notes[]
The soundtrack music for the location is "Followers' Credo," which was originally used for the Boneyard Library in Fallout.
Appearances[]
The Enclave Oil Rig appears in Fallout 2 and is mentioned in Fallout: New Vegas,[13][33] Fallout 4,[11] and Fallout 76[4] and its update Steel Dawn.[34]
Behind the scenes[]

- According to Chris Avellone, the number of permanent residents on the oil rig was between 60 and 80.[Non-game 5]
- The exact coordinates provided by the central computer for the Navarro base in-game actually place the oil rig 135 miles inland, between the cities of Fresno and Mariposa, in a small pond in Raymond, California.
- Assuming that latitude is correct and calculating the latitude using San Francisco as reference, the coordinates would be N 37° 17', W 124° 23' 24".[35]
- The entrance floor seal is based on a real world relief displayed at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.[Non-game 6]
- The destruction of the oil rig is mentioned in the Fallout Bible.[Non-game 7]
- Various elements of the oil rig have been remade in high definition for the purposes of Fallout 76, in particular the Enclave C.A.M.P. bundle, which includes the Enclave walls, turret set, lights, flat-laser door (based on detention level forcefields), and the office wallpaper (from Richardson's office).
Gallery[]
Magic: The Gathering[]
Videos[]
References[]
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Non-game
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