Digboi – The Oil City of Assam

In the impenetrable jungle that was swamped by maralia, crude oil was discovered during the late 19th century by the British, which developed into the modern industrial town, named Digboi. Situated in the foothills of the Patkai Mountain rage, Digboi is a small town of Tinsukia District of Assam. Popularly known as the ‘Oil City of Assam’, this township houses the oldest oil well of Asia. The treasure chest of Assam, Digboi is bestowed with natural bounties and the distinctive scenery of tea gardens, heritage bungalows and greeneries surrounds the town. The first oil refinery, perhaps of the World was established in this town in the year 1901 and is the World’s oldest oil well in function. The town has well-developed infrastructure that boasts of the 100 years old oil refinery.

Digboi was once a dense forest that has a glorious history crammed with romances of human being’s unregimented desire to discover the nature’s hidden resources amidst hardships. The mesmerizing town of Digboi has witnessed a lot of terror during the Second World War, when a huge crowd of Burmese inhabitants migrated to the town after the attack of Japan over Burma, now Myanmar, when the Japanese Jet Planes lingered over the country. During this time, the town was saved by the British from falling into the hands of Japan. The Ledo Road, renamed as Still Well Road, which was constructed during the 2nd World War for supplying Chinese by the Western Allies as an option to the Burma Road which had been incised by the Japanese in the year 1942 lies just about 35 km from the town. The town derived its name from the expression  "dig-boy-dig," which was uttered by the British to their laborers while digging crude oil. The history of Digboy dates back to the year 1867 when some employees of Assam Railway and Trading Co discovered the legs of their elephants sodden in black mud, which smelt to some extent like oil. In the year 1889, some small oil installations were carried out by the British Government and finally the first ever oil refinery of Asia was established and during the 2nd World War, the oil field of this beautiful and modern town produced approximately, 7,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Presently, Digboi is the Headquarter of Assam Oil Division of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Besides the oil Refinery, the town has a lot to offers to its visitors. It has a War Cemetery that offers a pristine and tranquil ambience, built in the memory of the warriors who lost their lives during the World War II. The straddling tea gardens, the Club House, 18 holes Golf Course Dibru –Saikhowa Bird sanctuary which is an abode of several endangered species like Hornbill, Leopard, Flying Squirrel, wild horses and wild elephants; the Patkai Mountain Range covered with cloud on its backdrop, makes it a place that is worth a visit. The town features a pleasant climate with temperature that ranges between 12 oC to 32 oC, with rain pouring quite often making the weather cool.