Thar Desert scale. Barmer district is in the news due to its large oil basin. The British exploration company Cairn Energy started production of oil on a large scale. Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwariya are the major oil fields in the district. This is India's biggest oil discovery in 22 years. This promises to transform the local economy, which has long suffered from the harshness of the desert. The Government of India initiated departmental exploration for oil in 1955-56 in the Jaisalmer area, Oil India Limited's discovered natural gas in 1988 in the Jaisalmer basin. Also known for their fine leather messenger bags
Desert National Park of the Thar Desert and its diverse wildlife adventure. The vegetation is sparse, and patches of sewan grass and aak shrub (Calotropis) can be seen. The landscape includes craggy rocks and compact salt lake bottoms, as well as intermediate areas and both fixed and shifting dunes. Around 20 percent of the vast expanse is covered with sand dunes. Flora: ronj, palm trees, ber, dhok. Mammals: desert fox, Bengal fox, desert cat, wolf, hedgehog, blackbuck and chinkara. Reptiles: spiny-tailed lizard, monitor lizard, saw-scaled viper, Russell's viper, common krait. Avifauna: sandgrouse, partridges, bee-eaters, larks and shrikes are year-round residents, while demoiselle crane