Terrestrial heat flow distribution in Kuqa foreland basin, Tarim, NW China

Forty-five samples taken from 53 wells in the Kuqa foreland basin, north Tarim Basin, were selected for thermal conductivity measurement in laboratory, and the original thermal conductivity and formation thermal conductivity column were obtained based on the correction of temperature and porosity. Fifty-two heat flow values and their distribution were calculated based on the heat conduction theory and thermal resistance method.The Kuqa foreland basin is a low-heat-flow cold basin, the heat flow values of the tectonic units in the basin are 40-50 mW/m 2 , which are lower than that in other Chinese middle and large sized basins. The mountain front belt, including Yiqikelike, Dawanqi and Kela areas, has relatively high heat flow values and is the high heat flow belt in the cold basin and also a high gas production zone. In the south area, the heat flow decreases gradually from east to west. The heat flow distribution is determined by the lithosphere flexuring and fast subsiding during the Cenozoic tectonic evolution when intensive basin-mountain coupling occurred between Tarim Basin and Tianshan because of the far distance collision of the India and Eurasian Plates.