Geochemical and Geological Characteristics of the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian Shales in the Upper Yangtze Basin, South China: Implication for the Shale Gas Exploration.

Shale gas exploration in the Upper Yangtze Basin has been conducted for over ten years. The successful drillings in the region suggest that well-planned geological survey and reservoir evaluation are indispensable for the success of these drillings. In this study, the shale gas potential of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian mudstones/shales of the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations in the Upper Yangtze Basin was evaluated.