The genetic mechanism of low resistivity shale and the influence of the characteristic of low-resistivity effect on shale reservoir quaility have aroused wide public concern. Shales with resistivities lower than 20 Ω· m is widely developed in the Wufeng-Longmaxi formation of the Southern Sichuan Basin. Many scholars believed that the gas- bearing property of low- resistivity shale is poor, thus the distribution of low- resistivity shales affecting the selection of favorable exploration areas.Based on the analysis of mineral composition, organic geochemistry and physical property parameters of 1036 low-resistivity shale samples from eight shale gas wells in the Southern Sichuan Basin, this paper discussed the petrophysical properties and gas bearing properties of three types of low-resistivity shale reservoirs on the basis of clarifying the genetic differences of low-resistivity shales in the Luzhou area and Changning area. There are three main reasons controlling the distribution of low-resistivity shales in the Southern Sichuan Basin: extensive development of gravity flow deposits, poor structural preservation conditions and the graphitization of shale caused by Emeishan basalt. Turbidite flow deposits are widely developed in the west of the Changning area and the southeast of Luzhou area, and basically coincided with the distribution area of low-resistivity shale with resistivity lower than 20 Ω· M. The high content of detrital clay minerals (especially illite) in turbidite flow deposits increased the cation exchange capacity and irreducible water saturation of shale reservoir, resulting in the decrease of electrical resistivity. The resistivity of shale developed near the complex fault-fracture system is always lower than 20 Ω· m and the poor structural preservation conditions lead to a large loss of shale gas, resulting in the reduction of resistivity. The NE trending fault with the largest development scale in the Changning area has the strongest control effect on the low resistivity shale, while the low resistivity shale in the Luzhou area is often distributed on the wing of the tight anticline with well-developed trans-layer faults. Emeishan basalt caused extensive graphitization of shales in the western of the Changning area, and the resistivities were generally lower than 5 Ω· m, but the resistivities of shales in the Luzhou area was not affected. Among the three types of low-resistivity shale, Type III low-resistivity shale reservoirs have relatively high quartz, TOC, porosity and gas content, and the graphitization degree of type III low- resistivity shales are low. It is a favorable exploration target for low resistivity shale reservoirs in the southern Sichuan Basin.