The growth of the loosening zone

The problem of fracture of rocks will be considered on the base of the kinetic mechanism. Namely, the method proposed will be based on statistical consideration of the accumulation of microfractures. In this paper, based on this concept, we will model massive fractures in rock mass around the borehole as the result of pumping the viscous fluid through this borehole into rock. The experiments have shown that, as the result of the pumping and depending on the properties of rocks, either a hydraulic fracture or a loosening zone spreads in rocks surrounding the borehole. We propose a simple qualitative model to describe how a loosening zone grows with time and to evaluate the parameters controlling this growth. We expect that the model proposed will help to predict the external parameters and rock properties for which one or another mechanism of hydraulic fracturing occurs (the hydraulic fracture or the loosening zone).