Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in the exploration of deep- seated reservoir plays within the southern margin of the Junggar basin. Despite these successes, drilling operations in structures adjacent to industrial petroleum traps have resulted in a number of unsuccessful ventures. This study investigates the tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon accumulation processes of the deep play in the Gaoquan area to understand the causes behind these drilling failures. A comprehensive approach, incorporating the restoration of the balanced geological profile, fluid inclusion analysis, burial and thermal history reconstructions, and numerical simulation techniques, provides a detailed understanding of the structural development and hydrocarbon migration in the Gaoquan area. The results show that the Gaoquan structure originated as a wide, gentle paleo- uplift during the pre- Jurassic era. The Himalayan orogeny in the early Cenozoic resulted in its division into several fault- block structures, leading to distinct trapping and accumulation processes. The Gaoquan structure underwent three distinct stages of hydrocarbon charging and subsequent modification. During the deposition of the Miocene Taxihe Formation (16 Ma), the initial stage involved the charging of low- maturity crude oil, as evidenced by yellow fluorescence in inclusions. The second stage, coinciding with the middle Dushanzi Formation (7 Ma), witnessed the charging of mature crude oil, characterized by blue and blue- white inclusions observed in quartz grain healing fractures. The final stage, commencing during the Pliocene (3 Ma), involved the charging of natural gas, primarily sourced from the Sikeshu sag, as the local source rock in the Gaoquan area has not yet reached the gas generation window. The proximity of the Gaoquan structure to the Sikeshu sag significantly influences its trappotential and overall exploration prospects. Traps surrounding the sag have undergone significant reformation and adjustment during later stages. Proximal traps, characterized by their proximity to oil sources and abundant hydrocarbon supply, present the most favorable exploration targets, highlighting their potential for successful hydrocarbon discoveries.