Abstract: Lithofacies is one of the important contents in the sweet spot evaluation for continental shale oil formations, as lithofacies types are closely linked to reservoir properties, oil-bearing potential, compressibility, and fluid mobility. On account of the limitations of current methods—primarily reliant on core laboratory analyses, which are time-consuming, costly, and poor timeliness—this study focuses on lithofacies identification technology while drilling using XRF elemental mud logging, taking the continental shale of the lower Es3 layer in Well X of the Jiyang Depression as an example. Based on the indoor experimental analyses such as X-ray diffraction, thermal decomposition of rocks, and thin section identification of continental shale core and cuttings samples, calculation models for mineral components and TOC, the identification chart of the degree of lamination development and the index of lamination development were established based on elements. Using the calculation models of mineral components and TOC and the identification chart of the degree of lamination development, the lithofacies identification was carried out based on the elemental logging data of cuttings samples. Compared with the lithofacies identification results based on laboratory data, the coincidence rate was 86.5%. The lithofacies identification method of continental shale oil reservoirs based on elemental logging technology has good continuity, low cost and strong timeliness, which can provide technical support for the geological steering of horizontal wells and sweet spot evaluation of shale oil, and is conducive to the efficient development of shale oil.