Digboi – the birthplace of Indian Oil Industry

Digboi, a small town situated in Tinsukia District of Assam, boasts of having the World’s oldest oil refinery in operation. It is the birthplace of India’s Oil Industry and is famous for housing Asia’s first Oil Refinery. It offers a glimpse of the bygone era. Digboi is the oldest oil city of India, scattered with massive bungalows that represents Victorian architecture, large golf course, church and verdant greenery.

Situated amid dense and malaria infested jungles, Digboi is a jewel in the crown of Assam. The history of oil Industry of India traces back to the era of British rule, when first oil deposits were discovered near Digboi, in the year 1889. This discovery was followed by industrial development in the state of Assam as well as in India. This small township, situated in the extreme North-east corner of the state, engraved a place in the industrial history of the country over more than 100 years ago. The history of this oil town dates back to 1867, when some employees of Assam Railway and Trading Company (ARTC) ventured into the hostile area in search of black gold. On their way, they discovered the legs of their elephant soaked in black mud, which smelt somewhat like oil. When they retracked the trails, following the footprints, they found oil sipping out if the land and that’s how, crude oil in Assam was discovered.

The town got its name from the phrase “dig-boy-dig”, which the Englishmen used for their laborers while digging crude oil in the region. Following the discovery, in the year 1889, small oil installations were started by the English and in the year 1901, Asia’s first oil refinery was constructed in the small, secluded town Digboi. This marks the birth of oil industry in India, making this town its birthplace. During the 2nd World War, the oil fields in the town produced nearly 7,000 barrels of oil per day. The World’s oldest oil refinery in operation, The Digboi Oil Refinery, now belongs to the Assam division of Indian Oil Corporation and even today, it produces 3 lakh tones of crude oil along with other petroleum products like kerosene, diesel and petrol.