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Organic matter is the material basis of hydrocarbon generation and the abundance of organic matter is a main factor of regional selection and evaluation in shale gas. Also the enrichment is influenced by sedimentary environments. Thus, it is important for the study on the geological factors controlling organic matter enrichment and further to provide scientific basis of regional selection and evaluation by organic matter enrichment area with analysis of the factors. In this paper, the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian shale from representative wells in the Upper-Lower Yangtze area is selected as the research object. The goal of this study is to quantitatively calculate the excess siliceous mineral content in shale siliceous minerals and determine the origin of excess silicon based on Al, Fe, and Mn elements; as well as to analyze the sedimentary organic matter enrichment mechanism based on the water body redox environment and bio-productivity. The results show that excess silicon from the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian shale in the Upper Yangtze area is biogenic and deposited in closed water bodies. On the one hand, the upper water body contains oxygen, which leads to higher bio-productivity. On the other hand, the lower water body has strong reducibility, which is conducive to sedimentary organic matter preservation. However, the excess silicon in the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian shale of the Lower Yangtze area is derived from hydrothermal solution. Hydrothermal activity can enhance the bottom water reducibility, and its nutrient elements can improve bio-productivity and enrich sedimentary organic matter. Therefore, the organic matter enrichment, which depends on the biological productivity and redox conditions, is controlled by the water closure in the Upper Yangtze and hydrothermal activities in the Lower

As a result of complex tectonic background, shale gas in China exhibits differential enrichment. Choosing a favorable exploration target accurately is a crucial problem to be solved. In this study, the tests show that there is a superior transportation pathway within shale layer. Gas in the shale layer percolates much more in the direction parallel to the plane. Therefore, the accumulation pattern of shale gas indicates a complex tectonic background. Gas in the lower part of the structure diffuses and percolates in the vertical direction into the surrounding rock. Most gas percolates towards the high part of the structure in the direction parallel to the plane. When the shale was exposed, gas percolated along the parallel direction into the air. In the case of fracture development, if there is a reverse fault, gas would be enriched in the footwall. However, if there is an unsealed fault, it would become a pathway for gas migration. The above accumulation pattern was proved in several Areas. Also, this research presented a basis of evaluation units division. According to the buried depth, fractures, and structural position, Xiuwu Basin was divided into five evaluation units and Unit A3 is the most favorable exploration target.

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The marine shale in southern China has undergone complex tectonic evolution with a high thermal evolution degree. Excessive thermal evolution brings certain risks to shale gas exploration and development. With the advancement of experimental methods, the evolution process of shale reservoirs can be better understood from the micro-nanoscale. This work takes the Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng and the first member of Longmaxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin and Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in Outer Margin of the Sichuan Basin to study the impact of maturity upon the genesis of shale gas and development features of the reservoir. A series of geochemical research methods, including TOC, gas component and gas isotope, were adopted to study the impact of different thermal evolution stages of organic matter upon the genesis of shale gas. The nanoscale micro-imaging technique, such as FIB-SEM and FIB-HIM, was used to analyze the development of OM-hosted pores. As shown from the results, when Ro = 1.2–3.5%, the marine shale gas is dominated by methane and other hydrocarbon gases, since the mixture of cracking gas from liquid hydrocarbons and kerogen-cracking gas cause the carbon isotope reversal. Besides, the pyrobitumen pores characterized by the strong connectivity and storage capacity were primarily developed. When Ro > 3.5%, the organic matter is at the graphitization stage. The shale gas is mainly composed of nitrogen at this stage. The nitrogen is originated from the atmosphere and the thermal evolution process, and the OM-hosted pores (pyrobitumen and kerogen pores) characterized by the bad connectivity and storage capacity are developed. Finally, the main component of shale gas, the genesis of shale gas and the pattern of OM-hosted pores under different thermal evolution stages of organic matter are summarized, which provide technical support for the exploration and development of shale gas.