Fresh cuttings collected from drilling wells, offshore Taiwan, were analyzed for hydrocarbon gases using the headspace gas analysis technique. The content and chemical composition of the hydrocarbon gases was applied to evaluate the hydrocarbon generation potential, including organic richness, maturation level and organic matter type, of the encountered formations. The Lower Miocene coal-bearing formations in northern and western offshore area show high content of gases, indicating their potential for natural gas generation. The Miocene in the northern depression of the Tainan Basin shows relatively less gas generation potential compared to the offshore Taihsi Basin, probably due to lack of coal-bearing formations. The threshold of the gas generation is usually at the formation with Ro value of 0.4-0.5% based on the occurrence of C_3^+ hydrocarbons. Major organic matter in all encountered formations is gas-prone, judged from their low C_5^+ content.