The Digboi Town
The Digboi town is situated in Tinsukia district of Assam. It is said that a British engineer discovered oil on the feet of forest worker’s elephant. Seeing this, the engineer commanded “Dig, boy!” From it, the name ‘Digboi’ came! Digboi is located at 27.38° N 95.63° E. It has an average elevation of 165 metres (541 feet).
The town’s history begins in 1867 when a small group of men from the Assam Railway and Trading Co. found their elephants’ legs soaked in black mud, that smelt somewhat like oil. The men began exploring more, and in 1889, the English started a small oil installation. India (and Asia) obtained its first refinery in Digboi in the year 1901. Assam Oil Company was formed in 1899 to look after the running of the oil business in this area. The Digboi oil field produced close to 7,000 barrels/day of crude oil at its peak, which was during World War II. The field was pushed to produce the maximum amount of oil with little regard to reservoir management; as a result, production started to drop almost immediately after the war. The current production from the Digboi fields is about 240 barrels/day. Over 1,000 wells have been drilled at Digboi – the first well in 1889 had stuck oil at 178 feet.
Today, though the crude production is not high, Digboi has the distinction of being the world’s oldest continuously producing oilfield. Digboi refinery, now a division of Indian Oil Corporation, had a capacity of about 0.65 MMTPA as of 2003. The Digboi refinery is the world’s oldest oil refinery still in operation.
Digboi is now Headquarter of Assam Oil Division of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Mr. Goodenough of McKillop, Stewart & Co. Calcutta was the first in India to start a systematic programme of drilling for oil in November 1886, at Nahorpung about 30 miles south east of Dibgoi, just seven years after the world’s first commecial oil well was drilled in 1859, by Col Willam Drake in Pennsylvania, USA. This hand dug well — the first oil well in India — was drilled up to 102 feet and proved dry. However the second well struck oil at Makum near Margherita, about 8 miles from Digboi.
As of 2001 India census, Digboi Oil Town had a population of 16,584. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Digboi Oil Town has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84% and, female literacy is 79%. In Digboi Oil Town, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age. Digboi is emerging as a town of world-class streets and medical facilities. It is also known for the emerging entrepreneurs. This place is also famous rich cultural organisations and care societies.
Map of Digboi, Assam:
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Assam Information Portal