Abstract:
Possessing exceptional geothermal resource endowments and superior development conditions, the Niutuozhen geothermal field is one of the leading geothermal fields in Xiong’an New Area. Geothermal exploitation historically concentrated on reservoirs above 2 000 m, yet the differentiation rules, tectonic evolution control mechanisms, and geothermal enrichment patterns above 4 000 m carbonate reservoirs of the Wumishan and Gaoyuzhuang formations of are still poorly understood. There was a lack of understanding of deep carbonate rock thermal reservoirs. Spatial distribution, karst development and productivity characteristics of Jixian system carbonate thermal reservoirs are revealed in this study through comprehensive research based on authentic data acquired from deep geophysical exploration, geothermal drilling, well logging and productivity tests: the Jixian system carbonate buried hill internal structure is generally characterized by high in the south and low in the north, high in the east and low in the west, and the high point is located in the south of the uplift and gradually sinks to the northeast. The highest point is located at the southern end of the uplift, gradually dipping towards the northeast. The Wumishan formation in the south of Xiongxian County is partially missing, and the Gaoyuzhuang formation is unconformably overlaid on the Mesozoic strata. The interpretation of geothermal well reservoirs shows that the Wumishan formation is characterized by developed karst fractures and dissolution pores within a range of 200 m near the top weathering crust. These intervals are the development sites of geothermal reservoirs, characterized by good porosity and permeability and excellent geothermal productivity. In contrast, the Gaoyuzhuang formation shows significant inter-well variability, with only a few wells near the 150-meter vicinity of the weathering crust unconformity displaying developed karst features, while most wells exhibit overall underdeveloped karst conditions. As the depth of the strata increases, the degree of karst development deteriorates, the water output decreases, and the geothermal production capacity is poor. Against the backdrop of regional tectonic evolution, analysis on the typical section evolution of the Langgu depression-Niutuozhen uplift-Baxian depression reveals three evolutionary phases of sedimentation and tectonism for the geothermal field: Neoproterozoic-Mesozoic reservoir formation, Paleogene uplift construction, and Neogene-Quaternary reservoir burial. Such evolution controls the spatial distribution, karst growth and physical properties of the two thermal reservoir sequences, determining their modern geometry and petrophysical features. Analyses of steady borehole temperature and terrestrial heat flow data demonstrate that the superposition of heat accumulation by thermal refraction and fluid convection along deep major faults and high-permeability karst conduits jointly governs the spatial distribution of present-day subsurface temperature in the research area.