Abstract: Qaidam basin can be divided into three exploration provinces – Jurassic coal-type gas on the northern periphery of Qaidam Basin, Paleogene – Neogene oil-type gas in West Qaidam and Quaternary biogenic gas in Sanhu area – according to the characteristics and distribution of source rocks as well as other elements, such as the accumulation pattern and law. The source rock of coal-type gas is characterized as wide distribution, high organic abundance, strong sourcing capability, burial in the late periods, and a large amount of reserves. The key controlling factors of coal type gas accumulations in the basin margin area are ancient structures, transport systems and source trap relations. There are two types of reservoir-cap assemblages including lower assemblages (base rock-Jurassic-Paleogene) on the periphery of the basin and upper assemblages (Neogene) of the late structures within the basin. There are also two accumulation models – accumulations outside the source and accumulations above the source. The recent exploration efforts have been focused on the lower assemblages (base rock-Jurassic-E₁₊₂) in eastern segment in front of Alkin Mountains and the western segment in front of Qilian Mountains as well as the upper assemblages (N₁, N₂¹) in Lenghu and Eboliang structural belts inside the basin. Oil-type gas exploration area is characterized as three depressions, two sets of source rocks and three types of reserves, with a number of laws for gas abundance, such as distribution surrounding the depressions, nearsource accumulation, relay transport and sweet-spot accumulations. It is obvious that accumulations took place in the late periods, with a ^“relay style^” for migration and accumulations. Hydrocarbon source rock is deep in burial, high in maturity and strong in sourcing capability. The zones with a high gas-oil ratio are favorable areas for exploration of oil-type gas, such as the Shizigou-Youshashan-Yingdong structural belt and Youquanzi-Kaitemilike-Youdunzi structural belt. Biogenic gas exploration is characterized as a single kind of source rock, low abundance, and rapid deposition, in the pattern of sustainable sourcing, vertical and lateral migration and dynamic accumulations. The nose uplifts on the northern slope of Sanhu Depression and the peripheral zone of anticline are favorable exploration areas for lithologic gas reservoirs.