Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2005, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (5): 613-617.doi: 10.11743/ogg20050509

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Geothermal history of Tarim basin

Li Huili1,2, Qiu Nanhsheng3, Jin Zhijun1,2, He Zhiliang1,2   

  1. 1. West Branch of Exploration & Production Research Institute, SINOPEC, Urumqi;
    2. Research Center of Basin & Reservoir, China University of Petroleum, Beijing;
    3. Exploration & Production Research Institute, SINOPEC, Beijing
  • Received:2005-05-20 Online:2005-10-25 Published:2012-01-16

Abstract:

Geothermal history of Tarim basin is closely related with its structural evolution history.Palaeogeotherm in Tarim basin has been in declining trend since Paleozoic.There were two relatively high palaeogeothermal stages,one in Cambrian-Early Ordovician and the other in Carboniferous-Permian.The palaeogeotherm in Tarim basin was relatively high during Early Paleozoic.It was 3.2℃~3.5℃ per hundred meters in Cambrian-Early Ordovician,and then remarkably lowered.It increased a little bit in Carboniferous-Permian to 3.0℃~3.2℃ per hundred meters.It slowly declined in Mesozoic and lowered to 2.5℃ per hundred meters at the end of Mesozoic.It continuously declined in Cenozoic to the current 2℃ per hundred meters.As the structural development and evolution histories are different in various structural units,the geothermal history of each structural unit in Tarim basin has distinct characteristics.Shaya,Katak and Guchengxu uplifts always had relatively high geothermal heat flow,because they had been in basement uplift area for a long period;while Manja'er depression had relatively low geothermal heat flow,because it had been in downwarping region with large burial depth of basement for a long period.Moreover,Tarim basin has experienced N-S compression in Cenozoic.As a result of the loading of mountains,the lithosphere in the central part of the basin had been upwarped,so the geothermal gradient in Katak uplift had relatively small variation or increased a little bit;while the downwarping on the edge has caused continuous and rapid subsidence of the Southwest Tarim depression in Cenozoic,as a result,the geothermal gradient lowered rapidly by a big margin.

Key words: geothermal history, palaeogeotherm, geothermal gradient, Tarim basin

CLC Number: