Dear Dr. gao,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

Please address the comments from two reviewers and improve the quality of the paper. 

==============================

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Jianguo Wang, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS 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?

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

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: No

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

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: The effects of fracture network structure, fracture height, proppant concentration, proppant particle size, and proppant type on the conductivity of the fracture network are studied by experiments and orthogonal analysis. I think this article deserves to be published in Research Article. The current analysis method is simple and easy to use. I think this research is very valuable. Here are some suggestions for improving this research:

1. The control range of some experimental variables can be further expanded when studying the influence of different factors on the conductivity of fracture networks. For example, more proppant types or wider closure pressure intervals can be added to obtain more comprehensive data.

2. In the process of model validation, the comparison analysis with actual gas reservoir production data can be added in addition to the comparison with experimental data.

3. This paper does not fully discuss the influence of complex geological conditions (such as different rock types, stress distribution, etc.) on the conductivity of fracture networks.

4. The experimental scheme does not fully explain the selection basis of sand concentration, fracture height, proppant particle size, and other factors.

5. In the part of model validation, the adaptability of the model under different fracture network structures and different working conditions is not fully analyzed.

Reviewer #2: The paper demonstrates innovation in experimental design and model construction, with sufficient data volume. However, methodological details, model validation, and language expression require refinement. Revisions can further enhance scientific rigor and application value.

Reviewer Comments:

1、The paper designs a novel flow diversion chamber and establishes a fracture network conductivity model, showing some innovation. However, the abstract should more explicitly emphasize its breakthrough points compared to existing studies.

2、The selection of flow chamber material (stainless steel) lacks justification for whether its compressive performance meets the requirement of 100 MPa closure pressure. Please supplement material mechanical parameters.

3、The orthogonal experiment does not clarify the rationale for selecting specific factor levels (e.g., fracture heights of 23/36/50 mm). Provide basis for parameter selection.

4、The Kozeny-Carman equation assumes the proppant pack as a uniform capillary tube model, but actual fracture networks may have non-uniform distributions. Discuss potential impacts of this assumption on model accuracy.

5、Figure 20 only validates the "T-shaped" fracture network. Include comparisons with other types (e.g., "I-shaped," "E-shaped") to demonstrate universality.

6、The model exhibits significant errors (13%) under high closure pressure, yet the error sources are not thoroughly analyzed. Add discussion on error origins.

7、The critical F-value criteria in Table 4 are undefined. Specify the statistical testing basis.

8、The conclusion lacks clarity on how the findings guide field fracturing optimization (e.g., optimal proppant size selection, fracture network design). Include engineering application recommendations.

9、Author abbreviations in some references (e.g., Refs. 23, 27) are inconsistent. Standardize formatting.

10、Some sentences contain grammatical errors (e.g., "Due the complex structure" should be "Due to..."). Perform full-text proofreading.

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what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

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Dear Dr. gao,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

==============================

ACADEMIC EDITOR:

• This manuscript comes to the last step. Please fully check both English and presentations.
• A partially marked version is attached for your reference. 

==============================

Please submit your revised manuscript by Jun 21 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript:

• A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'.
• A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'.
• An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'.

If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols .

We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Jianguo Wang, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Journal Requirements:

Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice.

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Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed

**********

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

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

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

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

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

The PLOS Data policy

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

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

Reviewer #1: Yes

**********

Reviewer #1: The authors correctlt answered my comments, and I recommend that this paperr can be accepted as it is.

**********

what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

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 #1: No

**********

[NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.]

While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org

Attachments

Attachment

Submitted filename: PONE-D-25-07188_R1.pdf

Experimental and theoretical investigation on the conductivity of complex fracture network in unconventional gas reservoirs

PONE-D-25-07188R2

Dear Dr. gao,

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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Kind regards,

Jianguo Wang, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments: