The optical scanning method was adopted to measure the thermal conductivities of 418 drill-core samples from 30 boreholes in Sichuan basin. All the measured thermal conductivities mainly range from 2.00 to 4.00 W/m K with a mean of 2.85 W/m K. For clastic rocks, the mean thermal conductivities of sandstone, mudstone, and shale are 3.06 ± 0.73, 2.57 ± 0.42, and 2.48 ± 0.33 W/m K, respectively; for carbonate rocks, the mean thermal conductivities of limestone and dolomite are 2.53 ± 0.44 and 3.55 ± 0.71 W/m K, respectively; for gypsum rocks, the mean thermal conductivity is 3.60 ± 0.64 W/m K. The thermal conductivities of sandstone and mudstone increase with burial depth and stratigraphic age, but this trend is not obvious for limestone and dolomite. Compared with other basins, the thermal conductivities of sandstone and mudstone in Sichuan basin are distinctly higher, while the thermal conductivities of limestone are close to Tarim basin. The content of mineral composition such as quartz is the principal factor that results in thermal conductivity of rocks differing from normal value. In situ thermal conductivity of sandstones was corrected with the consideration of water saturation. Finally, a thermal conductivity column of sedimentary formation of the Sichuan basin was given out, which can provide thermal conductivity references for the research of deep geothermal field and lithospheric thermal structure in the basin.

The present geothermal characteristics and influencing factors are analyzed to conduct geothermal resource exploration in the Xiong’an New Area. Thermal conductivity data for 100 rock samples are obtained from different wells and a sedimentary strata thermal conductivity column is proposed. From these data, heat flow distribution in the area is mapped using equilibrium temperature logs obtained for 32 wells. The heat flow in this area is found to be 53.3–106.5 mW·m⁻² (average: 73 mW·m⁻²). The uplift heat value in Niutuozhen and Rongcheng uplift is 106.5 and 90 mW·m⁻², respectively. The sag heat flow is relatively low and the Baxian sag’s heat flow value is 48.9–61.6 mW·m⁻². Thermal conductivity differences among Cenozoic caprock, Proterozoic carbonate reservoirs, and basement rock mainly affects the geothermal distribution. The low and high thermal conductivities of the caprock and thermal reservoir as well as basement, respectively, cause heat flow redistribution in the surface during conduction. Groundwater rises to geothermal reservoirs through heat-controlling faults, causing convective heat transfer and increasing the geothermal reservoir temperature; therefore, high-temperature groundwater accumulates in the shallow uplift areas. The caprock’s thin uplift area exhibits a high geothermal background due to water convergence. Understanding the geothermal characteristics and influencing factors is necessary for understanding the distribution law and factors influencing geothermal resources and guiding geothermal exploration and development in the Xiong’an New Area.

Detailed knowledge of the effects of temperature on the thermal conductivity () of rocks is essential for investigating the geothermal regime of basins and their thermal evolution. In this study, the of four rock types (carbonate, clastic, intrusive, and volcanic rocks) were measured at temperatures of 25°C, 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C, 250°C, and 300°C using the Transient Plane Source (TPS) approach, which is accurate to ±3%. Experimental results demonstrate that the of carbonate and clastic specimens decrease strongly with increasing temperature. In contrast, the of intrusive and volcanic rocks are relatively insensitive to temperature. The temperature () dependence of can be classified into three groups in terms of the value of at 25°C. The first group is composed of rocks characterized by high (>4.5 W/m·K) at room temperature, for which the curves of exhibit a concave pattern. The second group consists of rocks with a moderate (2.5~3.5 W/m·K), in which the curves tend to be a straight line. The last group comprises rocks with a low (<2.5 W/m·K), exhibiting convex curves. There exists a close relationship between the at 25°C and its rate of decrease (). The absolute value of increases with the at 25°C rising. The relationship between the two values can be fitted by the equation to derive the fitting parameters , , and ; by this equation with known fitting parameters, the of the deep carbonate rocks of the Tarim Basin have been estimated.