Liquid black gold escalates Digboi to world map
Guwahati 15-Jan-2011
More than a century ago, a prominent chapter in world history was being inserted in a remote corner of Assam amidst the dense and malaria-infested jungles by a band of intrepid pioneers searching for black gold. The then Indian-based Italian engineers commissioned by the Assam Railways and Trading Company (ARTC) to build a railway line from Dibrugarh to Margherita (HQs of ARTC) accidentally discovered oil at Digboi around 10 miles from Margherita.
The earliest recorded reference to the existence of oil in India is found in the memories and dispatches of the Army officers who penetrated the jungles of upper Assam since 1825. Liutenant R Wilcox, Major A White, Captain Francis Jenkins and Captain PS Hanny all saw petroleum exuding from the banks of the Dehing river. CA Bruce (1828) and Medlicott (1865) of the Geological Survey of India also saw oil while prospecting for coal in upper Assam.
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 Digboi, just seven years after the world’s first commercial oil well was drilled in 1859, by Colonel William Drake in Pennsylvania, USA. This hand-dug well –– the first oil well in India, was drilled up to 102 feet and proved dry.
The Assam oil Company (AOC) was formed in 1899 to take over the oil interests of the ARTC and the Assam Oil Syndicate, who had carried out the early drilling in the area. It was here in Digboi that the first commercially viable well in India, known locally as Well No 1, was successfully drilled in September 1889 and the first modern refinery in India was built and commissioned with the first in December 1901. The first organized petroleum marketing in the country commenced, when the first batch of kerosene hit the market in January, 1902.
When oil was discovered in remote Digboi, there was no habitation in its immediate neighbourhood. The jungle was dark and swampy. The forest was so thick and the undergrowth so dense, that sunlight could hardly penetrate. Once oil was found, the dense jungle made way for the growth of the oil Industry in India. As more and more wells were drilled and more oil was found, the area developed, the population grew and the township of Digboi was set up with schools, markets and a well-equipped hospital.
The Digboi refinery lasted for 100 years –– a miracle by any standards especially considering the rapid changing technology, in the petroleum sector. The refinery, after being built from 1923 onwards, consisted of different “benches” or units, the paraffin shed, the alanmor stoves, the edeleanu unit, the dubbs unit etc. all of which were considered to be marvels at that time as far as technology was concerned.
Digboi Refinery has had its share of visitors in its march from one country to the next, including a large number of VIP visitors like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Indira Gandhi, Bishnu Ram Medhi, former CM of Assam Gulgarilal Nanda, Dr KD Malaviya and of course the inimitable mountain hero Tenzing Norgay. Assam Oil had a mini museum of sorts in the general office complex at Digboi, but it was more on the lines of an exhibition area with display boards and models.
Between the late 80’s and 90’s, the number of visitors to Digboi was on the rise. Many of them wanted to have a glimpse of the paraffin sheds and the quaint drums plant. This did of course, have other ramifications owing to deteriorating law-and-order situation in the State. Extremism was on the rise and a constant state of alert was proclaimed by the State and the Centre alike. Security became a matter of concern. At this juncture, visitors entering the refinery could naturally put a big strain on the security force of Digboi Refinery. In addition, Digboi refinery modernization project raised its head, implying that more labourers and contractors would enter the refinery –– an additional strain on the existing resources. Further more, old units would become redundant soon and had to be scrapped sooner or later. The equipment contained therein had to be removed to a safer location, or be lost forever. Thus, the AOD management seriously considered setting up an alternative display area which would be of interest to visitors, the prelude to a modern museum.
Anyone remotely associated with the oil industry had to make a visit to Digboi, the Mecca of Oil Industry at least once in his or her lifetime. This would go a long way in instilling a sense of pride amongst the oil men and make them experience the hardship and the toil associated with the industry. Thus the idea of a modern museum at Digboi bore fruits. However, the immediate questions that needed addressing were: ...the location and design of the museum, the funding which the oil companies would not like to invest in under normal circumstances, collection of memorabilia and information on the upstream sector, and finally, the collection of items, cataloguing, moving them to site, scrapping, cleaning, assembling, painting and final placement was another gargantuan task which had to be very closely coordinated. Writing the historical details of the equipment in a user friendly manner for the laymen was another subject matter completely.
The AOD management discussed all the pros and cons related to this project, and finally a place near the infamous Well no. 1 quite adjacent to an air raid shelter of the World War II could emerge as a suitable location. An in-house team led by the then Executive Director MN Das discussed the stories that could be featured in the museum. A Kolkata-based agency was enlisted to assist in designing the panels and the floor design. But, the most important aspect was funds for the museum.
A god sent opportunity appeared to present itself in the form of the centenary celebration of Digboi Refinery and it was then decided to include the Centenary Museum in the original budget which was approved by the IOCL’s Corporate Management. However, there was a rider that the museum would be inaugurated by Ram Naik, Minister for Petroleum and NG, on July 4, 2002.
Construction of the Museum commenced in right earnest. A core team was formed to collect the machinery listed out, arrange for complete cleaning, assembling and painting. The Kolkata agency was advised to initiate action related to their job. Their work consisted of designing individual panels, a central 3-D diorama to capture the mood of the museum with thatch covered oil rigs, elephants with mahouts and the mannequins including manufacturing, transportations and installation site. The Kamatuli mannequins would soon be facing their acid test, would they be able to withstand the rigorous of the journey up to Digboi amongst thousands of other smaller objects and still be able to present a brave face? The museum area soon began to buzz with continuous activity, the hammering of the civil contractors and the screech and buzz of drill machines, resulted in a cacophony. The jigsaw pieces gradually began to fall into place and the area assumed some semblance of a museum.
Small memorabilia started arriving and they had to be sorted, catalogued and stored safely. On the outside, the huge machinery had to be lifted by cranes and placed on concrete pedestals, while the machines inside the museum building had to be moved on pipe rollers.
Gradually, as each day emerged, the place became more frantic, tempers were frayed and the whole place buzzed with activity. At last, just when everyone had almost reached breaking point, the museum exhibits were in place along with the photo gallery. What remained were the cosmetic touches-carpets, mats and “do not touch exhibits” boards and inauguration plaque. The work was completed in a mind boggling three and a half months-just three days before D-Day.
The Digboi Centenary Museum had come to life. It was an achievement unparallel and instilled in the entire team, a great sense of pride, achievement and satisfaction. Perhaps in a very humble way, could the story of Oil be preserved for posterity, as attribute to the intrepid pioneers who discovered the Liquid Black Gold amongst the deepest recesses of the earth and put Digboi firmly on the map of the World for ever.
