‘Oil India – The Pipeline Saga’

By Sarkaritel March 4, 2022 05:32

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Noida, March 04: “Oil India – The Pipeline Saga” a legacy book,published by Oil India Limited (OIL), authored by Arup Kr. Dutta, Padma Shri awardee and noted writer & journalist from Assam, was ceremoniously released by Dr. Himanata Biswa Sharma, Chief Minister of Assam, recently at a solemn function held in Guwahati.The book documents heart-rendering stories of laying of Naharkatya- Baraunipipeline in India commissioned in two phases in 1962 and 1964 in the picturesque landscape traversing 3 states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.The 1157 km long pipeline, the ‘Lifeline for North-East Refineries’ has been serving the nation 24×7 for last 6 decadeswithout any replacement of any segment of the Pipeline till dateand is expected to serve for another 4 to 5 decades.

The book entails fascinating stories of construction of the pipeline in 1960s with mammoth challenges posed by difficult terrains of large number of forests and protected areas and having to cross 78 major rivers and that too with very limited technologies available during that time. Extensive research had to be carried out in laboratories of UK to pump high waxy crude through the pipeline system and that is how world’s first Crude Oil Conditioning Plant (COCP) was commissioned at Duliajan, Assam in 1963. The saga of the pipeline has been indeed fascinating as it holds the record of attaching world’s largest 34 channel radio link established along the entire pipeline route, having facilities of telemetering, teleprinter and speech transmission. India’s first STD dialling facilities was introduced in 1962 with the help of this radio link system only. The pipeline also holds the record of using world’s first crude oil & gas driven dual fuel engines for pumping the oil through the Pipeline.

Laying of this 1157 km long pipeline was initiated from the tiny town of Naharkatiya in the state of Assam to evacuate the excess crude oil produced from Digboi field discovered in 1889, Nahorkatiya field discovered in 1953 and Moran Field discovered in 1956. Thispipeline holds the record of being Asia’s first 1157 km long fully automated trunk pipeline commissioned in 1960s.

OIL’s1157 KM long Crude Oil Trunk Pipeline running 24×7 since 1960sandDigboi Oilfield discovered in 1889, which holds the distinction of being world’s2^nd discovery of CommercialOil andstill producing even after 130 years ofdiscovery,deserve due recognition as UNESCO’s World Heritage site under mixed category.