This handbook systematically constructs the basic theoretical system of non-marine shale oil and comprehensively sorts out its fundamental concepts, classification criteria, and core geological characteristics. It explicitly defines the connotative boundaries among non-marine shale oil, marine shale oil, and tight oil, with an emphasis on their discrepancies in hydrocarbon accumulation mechanisms, exploration philosophies, and key technical systems. Drawing on exploration cases of marine shale oil in North America, this book establishes a reference framework tailored to the research concepts and exploration technologies for non-marine shale oil. It elaborates on the formation mechanisms of organic-rich continental shales and the reservoir characteristics of shale strata in China. Furthermore, it systematically summarizes the exploration history, enrichment conditions, evaluation methodologies, and critical exploration technologies of typical basins in China, and presents forward-looking prospects for industrial development. This work serves as a practical resource for professionals, researchers, graduate students, and policymakers involved in mid- and long-term energy planning and sustainable growth strategies.

It is published as open access, offering free and unlimited online access to readers.

Wenzhi Zhao, the

Academician of the CAE Member, is an expert in petroleum geology and exploration.

He has been long-term engaged in the basic research of oil and gas geology, the

evaluation of oil and gas resources and the research of oil and gas strategy,

and has guided many major breakthroughs in lacustrine oil and gas exploration

in China in recent years. He has won 4 National Prize for Progress in Science and

Technology and published 9 monographs and more than 220 papers.

Rukai Zhu，Research Institute of

Petroleum Exploration and Development(RIPED), PetroChina，Research Professor，He has been

long-term engaged in sedimentary paleoenvironment and lithofacies paleogeography,

Diagenesis and reservoir evaluation, unconventional hydrocarbon geology. He has  published 6 monographs and more than 270

papers.

Suyun Hu, Research Institute

of Petroleum Exploration and Development(RIPED), PetroChina，Research Professor，He has been long-term

engaged in

the

basic research of oil and gas geology, the evaluation of oil and gas resources

and  unconventional hydrocarbon geology. He has  published 4 monographs and more than 90 papers.