A new baseline expression (named as ΔlgR’base) of ΔlgR for non-source shale was introduced to automate ΔlgR-based TOC interpretation and improve both the accuracy and the repeatability of the result. The improved ΔlgR method was then applied in the Songliao basin and the result is showed as follows: ΔlgR’base varies little with the average at 2.4 in the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn); the coefficient (expressed as a) of w(TOC) and ΔlgR is not rigorously correlated to maturity (vitrinite Ro%) and the relationship of w(TOC) and ΔlgR can be generously expressed as w(TOC)=5ΔlgR+0.3 for the low-mature to mature source rock in the K2qn.