The thermal conductivities of 6 rocks containing gypsum, as well as 6 rocks in which gypsum is absent were determined experimentally. The rock samples were taken from the Kuqa depression, in the north of the Tarim Basin, China. It was determined that gypsum-bearing rocks are thermal insulators, and this property when combined with other properties of gypsum-bearing rocks make them good cap rocks and also make them suitable for oil production and ...