Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri visited one of the country's oldest continuously producing oil wells at an Oil India Limited (OIL) installation in Duliajan, Assam, on Sunday, 21 June 2026, calling it a testament to India's enduring quest for energy security and the company's evolution under national leadership.

Context

Puri described the well, situated near the lush tea estates of Assam, as having been 'continuously producing oil for the last six decades' — a claim that underscores the remarkable longevity of Duliajan's upstream infrastructure. The visit comes as India continues to grapple with crude oil import dependence exceeding 80 per cent, making the performance of legacy domestic fields a matter of strategic importance.

Duliajan, located in Assam's Dibrugarh district, has been the operational heartland of Oil India Limited since the company's incorporation in 1959. The town sits within India's oldest oil-producing region, where commercial production first began at Digboi in 1889.

Policy Backdrop

Oil India Limited, a Navratna public sector undertaking, began its journey rooted in the tea-growing landscape of Assam and has since expanded its footprint considerably. The Minister noted that OIL is now 'ruling the waves in the Andaman Sea' and exploring 'newer frontiers in the Kerala-Konkan Basin and the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan.'

This geographic diversification aligns with the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), introduced in 2016, which replaced the earlier New Exploration Licensing Policy to open frontier basins to domestic upstream companies. OIL has been among the primary beneficiaries of new acreage awarded under this regime, extending its reach from mature onshore northeast fields to offshore and border areas.

Stakeholders and Impact

For Assam's communities and oil-sector workforce, the continued operation of legacy wells represents both livelihood and regional identity. Duliajan has been shaped by OIL's presence for over six decades, and the Minister's visit signals sustained federal attention to the northeast's energy infrastructure.

Puri framed OIL's journey as emblematic of India's broader energy ambitions, calling the company's installations 'sentinels of India's energy sector' and 'pillars of India's journey towards #ViksitBharat.' The visit also drew acknowledgment from Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was tagged in the post, reflecting the political salience of the upstream sector in the state.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to production outcomes from Assam's legacy wells and early results from the new exploration blocks in the Andaman and Kerala-Konkan areas. Any upstream policy signals in the next Union Budget — particularly around capital allocation for public sector exploration — will be closely watched by the sector.

As India pushes to reduce its dependence on imported crude, the performance of companies like Oil India Limited in both mature and frontier basins will remain central to the country's energy security calculus for years to come.