Abstract: The contributing factors of organic matter abundance, maturity, shale porosity and burial depth in source rocks were analyzed, and their relationships with gas content were determined. It is concluded that the area with thick shale, high total organic content (over 0.5%), moderate thermal maturity (higher than 0.4%) and well?developed pore spaces and fractures should be the next potential prospecting target with commercial values. The shale gas exploration in China should focus on such an area and take into account these risk factors of pore/fracture development, shale burial depth and drilling/production technologies as required