Digboi is now Headquarter of Assam Oil Division of Indian Division Corporation Limited. The earliest to the recoded to the existence of oil in India is the found in the memories.

And dispatches of the army officers who penetrated the jungle of Upper Assam since 1825. Lt. R. Wilcox, Major A. White, Capt, Francis Jenkins, Capt. P. S. Hanney-they all Saw a different times petroleum exuding from banks of the river dehing. Mr. C. A. Bruce (1828) and Mr. H. B. Medicott (1865) of the geological survey of the India also saw oil.While persecuting for coal in upper Assam.

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.