美国页岩气大多为海相热成因型，产气页岩主要分布在前陆和克拉通盆地的泥盆—石炭系，埋藏深度一般为1 500~3 500 m。我国页岩分为海相、海陆过渡相与煤系、湖相三类，其中海相页岩主要发育在坳拉槽和克拉通盆地的下古生界，富有机质集中段分布稳定，热成熟度偏高，有较高的含气量，勘探前景最好；海陆过渡相与煤系页岩主要发育在大型坳陷和前陆盆地，层系以石炭系—侏罗系为主，没有明显的富有机质集中段，含气量差别较大，勘探潜力有待落实；湖相页岩主要发育在中、新生代陆相盆地，富有机质集中段厚度大，成熟度较高的凹陷中心区可能具有一定资源前景。预测我国页岩气勘探将经历较长的探索期，未来年产量可达500亿～600亿m3规模。

Shale gas in America mostly comes from thermogenic marine shales, and gas shales mainly distribute in Devonian and Carboniferous of Foreland and Craton basins, while the buried depth is 1 500~3 500 m. Shales in China include 3 types: marine, transitional and lacustrine. Marine shales basically distribute in the lower Paleozoic of Aulacogen and Craton basins;organic-rich concentrated parts are steady-going,and thermal maturity phase and gas content are high,so the explorational prospect is the best. Transitional shales mostly distribute in Carboniferous-Jurassic of Foreland and Craton basins;there is no obvious organic-rich concentrated part, and gas content changes greatly, so the explorational potential needs to be proved. Lacustrine shales typically distribute in Mesozoic and Cenozoic of rift and Craton basins;organic-rich concentrated parts are thick and stable, and explorational potential is probably great in center of depression which reaches generating gas stage.It is forecast that shale gas exploration will take a long time and output will be 50 billion~60 billion m3 in the future.