Sixty-five natural gas samples were collected from 19 oil-gasfields in the Qaidam basin, China. The chemical composition and carbon isotope values of the samples were measured, and the geochemical characteristics and origin of the natural gases were studied. The gases can be divided into biogenic gases, sapropelic oil-type gases, mixed type oil-type gases, coal-type gases and mixed gas. The δ13Ci values of the biogenic gases are very small and the C2+ contents of them are very low, ranging from -68.2‰ to -61.8‰ and 0.06% to 0.20% respectively. They have heavy δD and δ13Cco2> showing a CC>2 reduction pathway. They are distributed in the East depression region and derived from the Quaternary source rocks. The sapropelic oil-type gases have small δ13C2 values and high C2+ ranging from -36.6‰ to -28.6‰ and from 33.01% to 47.15% respectively. The mixed type oil-type gases have <5I3C2 values and C2+ contents varying from -28.6‰ to -24.8‰ and from 4.81% to 26.06% respectively. Both sapropelic oil-typ