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.

Herein, integrated heat production analysis in the Xiong’an area was conducted by measuring uranium, thorium, and potassium in different rock types to clarify crust heat flow contribution, simulate the conductive terrestrial heat flow, and illustrate heat source mechanisms of Xiong’an area geothermal resources. The study area was divided into three lithosphere structure types from west to east, and heat production corresponded to layer thickness and heat production with the central area having thicker crust and lower heat production than the eastern and western areas. Crustal heat production, mantle heat flow, and crust–mantle heat flow ratio reveal a ‘cold crust-hot mantle’ in the Xiong’an area.

This study investigates the uplift and exhumation history of the southern segment of the western margin of the Ordos Basin using low-temperature thermochronology, including zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe), apatite fission-track (AFT), and apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) data, combined with thermal history modeling. The study area exhibits a complex structural framework shaped by multiple deformation events, leading to the formation of extensively developed fault systems. Such faulting can adversely affect hydrocarbon preservation. To better constrain the timing of fault reactivation in this area, we carried out an integrated study involving low-temperature thermochronology and burial history modeling. The results reveal a complex, multi-phase thermal-tectonic evolution since the Late Paleozoic. The ZHe ages (291–410 Ma) indicate deep burial and heating related to Late Devonian–Early Permian tectonism and basin sedimentation, reflecting early orogenic activity along the western North China Craton. During the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (165–120 Ma), the study area experienced widespread and differential uplift and cooling, controlled by the Yanshanian Orogeny. Samples on the western side of the fault show earlier and more rapid cooling than those on the eastern side, suggesting a fault-controlled, basinward-propagating exhumation pattern. The cooling period indicated by AHe data and thermal models reflects the Cenozoic uplift, likely induced by far-field compression from the rising northeastern Tibetan Plateau. These findings emphasize the critical role of inherited faults not only as thermal-tectonic boundaries during the Mesozoic but also as a pathway for hydrocarbon migration. Meanwhile, thermal history models based on borehole data further reveal that the study area underwent prolonged burial and heating during the Mesozoic, reaching peak temperatures for hydrocarbon generation in the Late Jurassic. The timing of major cooling events corresponds to the main stages of hydrocarbon expulsion and migration. In particular, the differential uplift since the Mesozoic created structural traps and migration pathways that likely facilitated hydrocarbon accumulation along the western fault zones. The spatial and temporal differences among the samples underscore the structural segmentation and dynamic response of the continental interior to both regional and far-field tectonic forces, while also providing crucial constraints on the petroleum system evolution in this tectonically complex region.

In recent years, the exploration of the Baibei Sag, located in the west of the Erlian Basin, has remained relatively underdeveloped. The Lower Cretaceous of the Baibei Sag hosts multiple tight sandstone reservoirs; however, research on the macro- and micro-characteristics, as well as the controlling factors of these reservoirs, is relatively limited. This study selected 105 Lower Cretaceous sandstone samples from the Baibei Sag for core observation, casting thin sections, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-pressure mercury intrusion analysis. The reservoir’s physical properties, pore throat structure, and diagenesis process were studied. The results indicate that the reservoir lithology is mainly composed of feldspar lithic sandstone, with an average composition of 44.3% lithic, 34.6% quartz, and 21.2% feldspar. The clay minerals in the interstitial material are primarily illite (69.3%) and illite–smectite mixed layers (12.7%), with smaller amounts of chlorite (10.9%) and kaolinite (7.2%), while smectite content is very low. The physical property analysis results indicate that the average effective porosity of the Tengger Formation sandstone is 3.3%. The average permeability is 0.01 × 10⁻³ μm². The average effective porosity of the Aershan Formation sandstone is 0.86%, and the average permeability is 0.05 × 10⁻³ μm². The Tengger Formation and Aershan Formation are both tight sandstone reservoirs. The analysis of pore throat structure shows that the reservoir space is mainly composed of dissolution pores. Three types of pore throat structures were identified, and corresponding pore models were established. Based on burial history and organic matter evolution characteristics, this study establishes a diagenetic evolution sequence of the Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoir. Analysis suggests that the pore throat structure of different reservoir types is mainly controlled by material composition. In the process of diagenetic evolution, the Tengger Formation and Aershan Formation are in the Middle diagenetic stage A. Compaction and cementation are the main reasons for low porosity, while the dissolution improves reservoir performance. The intergranular and intragranular dissolution pores formed by dissolution are the main storage spaces of the reservoir. The early tectonic fractures are filled with calcite, and the residual small-scale fractures play a role in improving permeability.

The eastern Ordos Basin is situated in a transitional zone between the stable Ordos craton and an adjacent active orogenic belt. Episodic tectonic uplift and subsequent cooling of the eastern Ordos Basin since the Mesozoic have been spatially and temporally heterogeneous, with uplift and cooling commencing earlier in the central and northern segments than in the south. To constrain the differential tectono-thermal history of the eastern region, apatite fission-track analyses were carried out on Upper Palaeozoic samples from distinct tectonic units, and new data are presented. The results identify four discrete episodes of rapid exhumation at 110 Ma, 70 Ma, 50 Ma, and 30 Ma, confirming a heterogeneous uplift and exhumation history of the region since the Early Cretaceous. The Eastern Ordos has experienced three phases of uplift. North-south thermal histories differ significantly: the south shows later, rapid cooling (50 m/Ma, 110–90 Ma), while the north shows earlier, slower exhumation (25 m/Ma, 130–90 Ma). Since 30 Ma, the southern area experienced accelerated uplift, contrasting with the moderate exhumation observed in the north and centre. We infer that differential tectonic uplift, exhumation, and the cooling process are coupled to underlying mantle dynamics, which have resulted in the complex structure of the eastern basin. This research provides significant implications for reconstructing the divergent thermal evolution pathways of its various tectonic units.

Xiong'an New Area is located in the northern of Jizhong Depression in Bohai Bay Basin, covered by three geothermal fields: Niutuozhen, Rongcheng, and Gaoyang. Clarifying the rock physical conditions and geothermal characteristics, combined with the elements of geothermal resource accumulation (heat source, channel, reservoir, caprock, fluid), plays an important role in understanding geothermal resources.Based on heat source research, this study analyzed the temperature measurement curves of 30 drilling wells and measured data of thermal conductivity and heat generation rate of 100 rocks to analyze the geothermal gradient and distribution of geothermal flow in Xiong'an New Area. The results showed that Xiong'an New Area has a high geothermal background, with geothermal flow ranging from 53.3mW · m-2 to 106.5mW · m-2, with an average value of 73mW · m-2. It is higher than the average heat flow value of 63.0 ± 24.2mW · m-2 in China Mainland, and belongs to high abnormal area. The geothermal gradient of caprocks is around 35 ℃/km, slightly higher than that of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic fault basins in Eastern China. Based on the geothermal field, combined with the characteristics of heat sources, reservoirs, and channels of deep geothermal resources, a genetic model of geothermal resources in Xiong'an New Area is established. It is considered that the reservoir-cap assemblages composed of the Cenozoic caprocks and the Proterozoic carbonate rocks in Xiong'an New Area, the alternating structural pattern of uplift and sag, and fluid activity affect the occurrence of deep geothermal resources. The geothermal resources are prone to enrichment in uplifted structures controlled by faults or in low uplifted Proterozoic thermal reservoirs. The high-value of geothermal flow, high permeability reservoirs, and regional continuous caprocks are favorable areas for geothermal development.