Revealing continuous hydrocarbon generation and shale oil accumulation of saline lacustrine source rocks by sequential extraction

•Hydrocarbon generation by alkaline lacustrine source rocks involve multiple sources and stages.•Shale oil accumulation in saline lacustrine strata is continuous.•Saline lacustrine source rocks host integrated conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources.•Sequential extraction can constrain the entire history of hydrocarbon generation of source rock under geological conditions.