Abstract: For evaluating accumulation conditions and gas content characteristics of the Lower Silurian shale in northwestern Hunan province, Well Yongye?1 was optimally selected and drilled, and it revealed the Lower Silurian dark shale of 131.2 m in thickness, including 19.3 m thick black shale. The black shale of Longmaxi formation is characterized by high TOC (2.0% in average), medium organic maturity (2.4% in average), high brittle mineral content (50.3% quartz in average), low clay content (31.3% in average) and low porosity (1.7% in average), showing good shale gas accumulation conditions. Although the the result of isothermal adsorption simulation test shows that the black shale have a good adsorption capacity (2.52 m3/t in average), the gas content from well site desorption test is very low. This is presumably due to the shallow depth of it, the intense tectonic activity in northwestern Hunan province and the poor preservation condition. The sedimentary thickness of the black shale reflects that The sedimentary environment of Well Yongye?1 is located at the edge of deep water shelf, so Huayuan-Baojing-Longshan areas with 30~40 m thick black shale that are close to the sedimentary center could be as the targets for further shale gas exploration in this area