Petroleum Philately of India: Assam - The Maternity Block

 

100+ Years old operating refinery

Petroleum is the main driving force of modern civilization. Crude petroleum oil is extracted from underground reservoirs, refined in oil refineries and distributed across the country for consumption.

Here are a few questions pertaining to petroleum industry of India:-

1. Where the petroleum crude oil was first discovered?

2. Where the first oil well was dug?

3. In which place the first petroleum oil refinery was set up?

4. In which state the first crude oil pipeline was laid?

5. In which state the first petroleum product pipeline was laid?

6. Where the first public sector refinery of independent India was commissioned?

7. Where the first petrochemical complex plant was established?

State of Assam, India (Source: Internet)

Incidentally, for all of above mentioned seven questions there is only one answer - the State of Assam, India. Assam is the largest of the seven sisters states of northeast India. These beautiful states are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.

Here are the answers of those questions in details:-

1) The first discovery of oil was made in 1866 in Digboi.

The Well No. 1

2) The first well of oil was dug in Digboi in the year 1889.

Details of Well No. 1

3) The first oil refinery was set in Margarita and later relocated in Digboi in the year 1901.

4) The first crude oil pipeline was laid between Nahorkatiya oilfield and Digboi refinery. 

5) The first petroleum product pipeline was laid from Digboi refinery to Tinsukia.

6) The first public sector refinery was established and commissioned in the year 1962 in Guwahati.

7) The first petrochemical complex plant was set up at Bongaigaon refinery.

In the true sense of term, the state of Assam is the maternity block of Indian petroleum industry. The state of Assam has contributed during birth and in the phase of growth of petroleum industry of India. While in pre-1947 there were only one refinery in Assam (in Digboi), today there are four refineries operating in Assam at Digboi, Guwahati, Bongaigaon and Numaligarh. Presently, crude oil fields and refineries of Assam, supply petroleum products beyond the state boundary.

The petroleum industry in India was born long before of independence. In the world, Edwin L. Drake was first to sink a well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA in 1859. 

A centenary of oil in USA

Only seven years later in 1866, Goodenough of McKillop Stewart Co. drilled first oil well in Upper Assam. However, it failed to achieve commercial success.  

The early stories of petroleum from Assam is not only fascinating but also intriguing. Believe it or not, the commercial discovery of petroleum oil in Assam was not credited to an oil company but a railway company. In 1889 Assam Railway and Trading Company (AR&TC) struck oil in Digboi and subsequently a small refinery was established in Margharita which was later relocated to Digboi. But before that story, let us talk about the historical background. 

A centenary of oil in India

A centenary (1889-1989) of discovery of petroleum oil in India, or to be precise in Assam, was commemorated through a postage stamp issued on 29 Dec 1989. An elephant was featured in the stamp along with oil rig, as pachyderms were on payrolls of oil companies in the arduous task of oil exploration and production in those era. 

An oil derrick and an elephant

Because of inhospitable terrain, elephants were employed on roll as ‘employee’ and were paid ‘salary’ by petroleum industry.

The family of an 'employee'

An 'employee' at work (Source: internet)

The story of rail and oil. 

Assam Railways and Trading Company Ltd (AR&TC) was incorporated in 1881 as a result of an agreement between Secretary of State of India and 'Shaw, Finlayson and Company'. They were tasked to lay a railway line between Dibrugarh and Sadiya. Besides setting up railway track the company expanded their activities into business of petroleum oil exploration in Assam and also developed interest in coal business. AR&TC struck oil in Digboi and subsequently a small refinery was established in Margharita. The refinery from Margherita was subsequently relocated in Digboi.  The company owned the oil refinery in Digboi till 1899. Later AR&TC promoted an exclusive oil company named Assam Oil Company (AOC) and transferred the refinery business to it. In 1921, AOC was sold to Burmah Oil Company. In short span of time Assam Oil became a vertically integrated oil company with its own oil exploration, refining and marketing business. In the year 1951, Assam Oil floated a subsidiary company named Oil India which has become today’s Oil India Ltd. In the year 1945, AR&TC was taken over by the government of India. Thus the rail company who was credited with official discovery of petroleum in India, disappeared from the radar and forever.

A similar fate awaited for Assam Oil Company. The company was nationalized in the year of 1981 and was vested with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., as a division named Assam Oil Division. Its independent identity was dissolved over a period of time. The refining operations was merged with refinery division and marketing apparatus was submerged with marketing division of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. By 2017, Assam Oil Company completely vanished from Indian petroleum scenario.

The birthplace (Elephant can not be missed at the center)

Today, India has 23 petroleum oil refineries spread all over the country. The very first refinery of India, established in Digboi, Assam, was commissioned on 11 Dec 1901. A 120+ years old refinery is still operating! The long serving Digboi refinery when clocked 100 years, a commemorative stamp was issued on 18 Dec 2001.

Centenary of Digboi Refinery

The first petroleum oil refinery of independent India was established at Guwahati (the then Gauhati). It was constructed with Rumanian collaboration.

Then 'Gauhati' and now 'Guwahati' Refinery

It was dedicated to the nation on 01 Jan 1962 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, first Prime Minister of Independent India. 

First Prime Minister of Independent India

To commemorate the event a postage stamp was issued on Gauhati refinery. This was first postage stamp on petroleum theme issued by India. 

A Refinery and a Rhino

The stamp not only depicted the refinery but also prominently featured a Rhino, the state animal of Assam. Rhino was a feature in the logo of Assam Oil Company.

Logos of Indian Oil and Assam Oil together

Single horned Indian Rhino

An oil cauldron, reminiscent of rich contribution of Assam for oil industry of India, is left in open air somewhere in Guijan, Assam.  

Guwahati Refinery My Stamp (Courtesy: Ali Sajid Hussain)

The refinery celebrated its 50^th and 60^th anniversary with issuance of special covers, one each for the occasion. 

50 Years of Guwahati Refinery (Personal collection)

Today Guwahati refinery is operating at a capacity of 1.0 million metric tonnes per annum.

60 Years of Guwahati refinery (Courtesy: S K Palit)

Another petroleum oil refinery was established by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., in Barauni, Bihar in July’1964. But the feedstock of crude oil was supplied by oilfields of Assam through a long underground cross-country pipeline from the state of Assam to the state of Bihar. 

Crude pipeline connecting Assam and Bihar states of India (1157 kms) - Source: Internet

The 50^th anniversary of Barauni refinery was celebrated with issue of one special cover.

Barauni refinery (Courtesy Kishore Kanti Majumdar)

The foundation stone for refining cum petrochemical complex at Bongaigaon, first in India, was laid down on 19 January 1972. 

My Stamp of Bongaigaon Refinery (Courtesy: Ali Sajid Hussain)

On 20 Feb 1974, it was incorporated as Bongaigaon Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (BRPL) under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. 

50 Years of Bongaigaon Refinery

Later, on 28 Mar 2009, it was amalgamated with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

Special Cover of Bongaigaon Refinery with My Stamp (Courtesy S K Palit)

The colour difference of two same Special Covers and use of two different yet related stamps may be noted.

As on 31 March 2022, the petroleum oil refining capacities -

All India = 250 million metric tonnes (rounded off)

1. Digboi         = 0.65 million metric tonnes

2. Guwahati     = 1.0   “      “         “    

3. Bongaigaon  = 2.35 “     “          “

4. Numaligarh  =  3.0  “      “         “

Total               = 7.0   “      “        “ (2.8 % of India, yet strategic)

The first three (1-3) refineries are operated by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (Personal collection, Courtesy - Partha Ghosh)

Indian petroleum industry has celebrated the century of oil exploration and production, refining of crude oil and marketing of refined petroleum products within and outside India. Many more miles to go and Assam will lead from the  front. 

Celebrating a century (Personal collection)

Oil Coordination Committee (O.C.C.) was an extended arm of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, which ceased to exist effective 01 Apr 2002.  

The petroleum philately of India is indebted to the state of Assam for its contribution to this wonderful hobby of philately. 

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Acknowledgements:

1. With valuable inputs from Deepakanada Bharali, Independent Director, Assam Petrochemicals Ltd. Appreciate.

2. S N Deka is the person because of whom it was possible to participate in the Assampex. Thankful.

PS: This was my exhibit (with little alteration), under Invitee class, in Assampex 2022 (The 4th State Level Philatelic Exhibition held during 12-15 Oct 2022 in Guwahati, the state capital of Assam, India). 

The invitation

Invitation 1 of 2

Invitation 2 of 2

Participant (Courtesy: Ron Ghosh)

The venue (Courtesy: Ron Ghosh)

The venue, once upon a time (Source: internet)

Single Frame Display (Courtesy: Debi Prasad Nayek)

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Disclaimer:

The information provided in the article is for general informational purposes only. All information is provided in good faith. This is only for sharing of knowledge of philately with philatelist fraternity of the world. No commercial or political angle, whatsoever, is involved. No intention to infringe any type of copyright. Under no circumstances I shall have any liability for reliance on any information provided in the story.

 

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