PONE-D-23-39049Characteristics of Inclusions in Chang 7 Member and Shale Oil Accumulation Stages in Zhijing-Ansai Area, Ordos BasinPLOS ONE

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: The paper analyzes fluid inclusions in reservoir samples from the Chang 7 member of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin using microscopic observation, temperature measurement, and fluorescence spectroscopy.

It identifies two stages of oil and gas accumulation based on the characteristics of fluid inclusions, including inclusion type, temperature, and fluorescence. The first stage occurred in the late Early Cretaceous and the second in the early Late Cretaceous.

It discusses the sources of CO2 inclusions and high-temperature inclusions, relating them to volcanic activity in the Early Cretaceous.

The study helps understand the oil and gas accumulation mechanisms and periods in the Yanchang Formation to guide exploration in the area.

The study uses multiple well-established petrographic techniques to analyze fluid inclusions and comprehensively interpret the oil and gas accumulation history.

It relates the inclusion data to burial history modeling and tectonic events to constrain accumulation timings.

The findings provide insights on the key accumulation periods to inform exploration in the region.

Questions for Authors:

What criteria were used to select inclusions for analysis (e.g. inclusion size, shape)?

How was the microscope stage calibrated and what was the estimated temperature uncertainty?

Have other inclusion studies in the area reported consistent or differing accumulation timings? If differing, how do the authors reconcile the interpretations?

The study presents a comprehensive inclusion analysis and ties the findings to the geological evolution of the area. While some methodological details could be improved, it provides useful insights for the basin. The questions aim to strengthen the reliability and contextualize the conclusions.

Reviewer #2: The topic of this article is relatively new, and the views are clear and correct. The article conforms to the purpose of this journal, and also reflects strong innovation and practical application. The structure of the full text is basically reasonable, the ideas are clear, and the levels are clear. The expression of opinions is basically accurate, and the arguments and arguments are basically consistent.

This article requires the following changes from the author:

1. The referenced literature needs to be closely integrated with the topic and paper materials, and it is recommended to use newer references.

2. It is recommended to supplement the experimental data in Table 1.

3. It is recommended that a scale bar be added to Figure 8.

4. The title "chang 7" in Figure 6 is not standard and should be changed to "chang 7 member".

5. The marked range in Figure 4 is not clear, replace it with an obvious outline.

6. Finally, pay attention to the writing format of experimental data in the article.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Xu-Guang Guo

Reviewer #2: Yes: Wei Lin

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Characteristics of Inclusions in Chang 7 Member and Shale Oil Accumulation Stages in Zhijing-Ansai Area, Ordos Basin

PONE-D-23-39049R1

Dear Dr. Wang,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #2: Yes

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3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #2: Yes

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4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #2: Yes

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6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #2: The revised manuscript is generally satisfactory, and most of my concerns have been well addressed, my recommendation is for acceptance.

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If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #2: No

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