Abstract To gain a better understanding of the gas-bearing property of Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation shale and its influencing factors, the shale gas-bearing conditions, gas content, and composition in the Cengong block were investigated in this work based on wells CY1, TX1, and TM1. The Niutitang shale reservoir is characterized by large thickness, abundant organic matter with an average total organic carbon content of 4.74%, and high quartz content averaging 53.9%; therefore, it has good shale gas-bearing potential. The results of water immersion and ignition tests intuitively revealed the existence of shale gas based on the occurrence of continuous dense clusters of bubbles and long flames of 1–2 m. The Langmuir volumes of shale samples from well TM1, which ranged from 1.70 to 5.53 m3/t, were positively associated with TOC content and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, indicating a strong adsorption capacity and significant adsorbed gas potential. However, large differences were observed among the three wells with regard to gas-bearing properties; wells CY1 and TX1 had average total gas contents of 1.25 and 0.33 m3/t, respectively; the gas composition of well TM1 was dominated by nitrogen (N2), with contents generally exceeding 95%. Furthermore, the gas from well TX1 was mainly composed of methane with an average content exceeding 80%. Burial depth and TOC and quartz contents had significant control on the vertical distribution of gas content, and local tectonic preservation conditions resulted in differences of gas-bearing properties among various wells. The measured, lost, and total gas contents all presented positive correlations with TOC, quartz contents, and porosity, and were negatively related to clay content. The shale formed in deep-water shelf environments had better gas-bearing properties than that formed in shallow-water shelf environments. The broad axis of the box syncline in the Cengong block is a favorable location for shale gas accumulation, and fault development affects the shale gas plane distribution. Because of the influence of faults, the shale of well TM1 had low hydrocarbon content. Furthermore, based on the combined patterns of folds and faults as well as other special specific factors, a classification scheme of shale gas accumulation patterns in South China was developed.