About

Richard Bishop is a Professor of Practice in Mining and Minerals Engineering at Virginia Tech. His research areas include autonomous drones in GPS-denied underground mine environments, drone-based emissions surveys, rare earth elements and critical minerals, mine digitization using photogrammetry and lidar, mining finance, econometrics and big data analytics, mineral processing, slurry transport systems, and the development of virtual mine environments for VR and AR. He has been involved in various research projects, including expanding Appalachia CORE-CM with DOE-NETL and designing guidelines for assessing pillar stability in underground mines from autonomous robotic inspections. Bishop has a background in mining engineering, holding a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, along with a master's degree from the same institution, and a B.S. in mining and minerals engineering. His education also includes international coursework at TU Delft University, RWTH Aachen University, Imperial College London, and Helsinki University of Technology. He has held positions as a senior consultant, vice president of investments, and CEO in the mining industry, and has served on multiple industry advisory boards. His professional affiliations include the Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, American Exploration & Mining Association, and the Canadian Institute of Mining, among others. Bishop has received awards such as the SME Mining & Exploration Division Outstanding Young Professional Award and the Virginia Tech College of Engineering Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Research topics

• Geology
• Geotechnical engineering
• Engineering
• Mining engineering
• Political Science
• Sociology
• Computer Science
• Machine Learning
• Mathematics
• Microeconomics
• Psychology
• Econometrics
• Mathematical economics
• Geomorphology
• Social psychology
• Economics
• Statistics
• Geochemistry
• Materials science
• Structural engineering

Selected publications

• ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS (CRM) IN PENNSYLVANIAN-AGE COALS AND ASSOCIATED SEDIMENTS OF THE CENTRAL APPALACHIAN BASIN, EASTERN U.S.A.

  Abstracts with programs - Geological Society of America · 2025-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A Risk-Based Pillar Design Approach Combining Stochastic Continuous and Discontinuous Modeling in an Underground Stone Mine

  Mining Metallurgy & Exploration · 2025-02-18 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The collapse of a mine pillar is a catastrophic event with great consequences for a mining operation. In spite of the low probability of occurrence for a pillar collapse in comparison to other ground control instability issues, these consequences make these events high risk. Therefore, the design of these structures should be considered from a risk perspective rather than from a factor-of-safety deterministic approach, as it has been traditionally done. This work presents a risk-based pillar design framework that enables to characterize discontinuities' effect in pillar strength, as well as accounting for the possible range of stresses that will be acting on pillars. The proposed methodology is based on the integration of stochastic discrete element modeling for pillar strength estimation, and stochastic continuous modeling for pillar stress determination. This approach was evaluated in an underground dipping stone mine. Using the reliability analysis method, results from the stress estimation model were integrated with those obtained from the stochastic DEM approach, thereby enabling the probability of failure estimation for the pillars throughout the mine. Finally, the methodology was validated by comparing numerical modeling results with LiDAR and photogrammetric surveys from the mine. Results from this design framework provide additional decision-making tools to prevent pillar failure from the design stages by reducing uncertainty. The proposed method enables the integration of pillar design into the risk analysis framework of the mining operation, ultimately improving safety by preventing future pillar collapses.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Critical Minerals (CM) in Middle Pennsylvanian-Age Coals and Associated Sediments in the Central Appalachian Basin, Eastern U.S.A.

  2024-07-10

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  The Central Appalachian Basin (CAB) of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia has a long history of coal mining and oil and gas extraction that has empowered the regional and national economies, the development of infrastructure, and a highly trained energy resources work force. As our societal demands for advanced technologies have rapidly increased in recent years, coal-related materials are viewed as an important new unconventional domestic source of critical minerals (CM) that are required for telecommunications, aerospace and transportation industries, electronics, the transition to low-carbon emissions energy production, and many consumer products. Coal-related materials encompass coal, associated sediments, coal mining waste materials, produced waters, and ash residues from coal-fired power plants. An important objective of the Evolve Central Appalachia Project (Evolve CAPP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is to assess the quantity and distribution of CM resources in the CAB region. The rare earth elements (REE) are considered highest priority, although other important CM such as niobium, gallium, and zirconium are known to occur in the Middle Pennsylvanian-age coals and sediments. Working with coal industry partners who provided access to drill cores, coal-related sediments and waste materials, over 600 samples have been collected for laboratory analysis, and over 730 materials have been scanned using portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) equipment. The application of pXRF provides the means for real-time semiquantitative analysis of CM content at very close spacings (typically 2-3 inch intervals) along drill core and in-situ channel samples that span the roof, coal seam, and floor rock. The comparison of pXRF geochemical data with laboratory results, geologic data, and downhole spectral gamma logs can provide high resolution input to lithologic and depositional models for future CM resource evaluations. The preliminary findings show that pXRF is capable of accurately measuring low concentrations of many of the CM with a high level of confidence (Ba, Cr, Ga, K, Nb, Rb, Sr, Th, Y), whereas for others (La, Ce, Co, Mn, Nd, Ni, Sc, Ti, V) the detection limits are very high or spectral interferences increase the uncertainty. Notably, the mean abundances of Y (34 ppm), La (86 ppm), Ga (40 ppm), and V (146 ppm) in coal underclays in the CAB region are up to 7X enriched compared with the overlying coal. These values also exceed the reported concentrations in published reference materials for upper continental crustal rocks (Rudnick and Gao, 2003), North American Shale Composite (Gromet et al., 1984), and North American coal (Finkelman, 1993). The pXRF data are in part verified by laboratory results that indicate the mean Y abundance (36 ppm) is highly correlated (R2 = 0.807) with total REE (ΣREE). The correlation is even higher (R2 = 0.957) with heavy REE (ΣHREE). Applying these correlations to the pXRF data for the coal underclays, the mean estimated values for ΣREE+Y and ΣHREE+Y are 270 ppm and 58 ppm, respectively. Although these average values are not considered high, the range of Y measured by pXRF in the coal underclays extended as high as 114 ppm, which would suggest ΣREE+Y equal to 847 ppm. The mean abundances of Zr (192 ppm) and Th (21 ppm) in coal underclays are also enriched compared with the overlying coal and these results likely reflect the presence of resistant detrital heavy minerals such as monazite, xenotime, and zircon in the underclay matrix. Several of the profiled coal seams and associated wall rocks contained thin volcanic ash layers up to 4-5 inches in thickness. The extent to which these ash fall layers provided a source for CM under the paleoenvironmental conditions that resulted in coal deposits in the CAB remains to be fully studied. Continuing investigations in the Evolve CAPP study area will include laboratory determinations of mineralogic and clay compositions, and evaluations of CM geochemical mobility in the coal and coal underclays.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evolve CAPP

  2024-05-08

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Overview and updates on the Evolve CAPP project to the Southwest Virginia Energy R&D Authority.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evolve CAPP

  2024-10-29

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Introduction and updates on the Evolve CAPP project to the Virginia Tech Southwest Center Advisory Council.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Technology Assessment for Mining Critical Minerals in Central Appalachia

  2024-02-28

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Technology assessment for mining critical minerals in Central Appalachia

  PublisherDOI

• Overview & Advancements of the Evolve Central Appalachia Rare Earth & Critical Minerals Project

  2024-05-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Overview & Advancements of the Evolve Central Appalachia Rare Earth & Critical Minerals Project

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring Sustainable Critical Mineral Production in Central Appalachia: A Pathway to Economic Revitalization & Environmental Justice

  2024-07-10

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  The Evolve Central Appalachia (Evolve CAPP) project team was formed to explore the sustainability of critical mineral production within the Central Appalachian coal basin, spanning Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee in the United States. The initiative is evaluating the rare earth and critical mineral resource potential essential for powering clean energy technologies, while fostering a circular economy throughout the energy transition. Opportunities are being sought to address environmental justice, workforce development and responsible sourcing. By promoting greater resource utilization, the project is identifying downstream value-added industries, further fostering economic revitalization in the region.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evolve Central Appalachia (Evolve CAPP) - Basinal Resource Assessment – Task 2

  2024-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Update on the initial basinal resource assessment for CORE-CM in Central Appalachia

  PublisherDOI

• Evolve CAPP

  2024-04-03

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Evolve CAPP updates and project review

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Kevin Boyle

  Northwestern University

  31 shared

• Michael Welsh

  Longmont United Hospital

  27 shared

• Bill Provencher

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  20 shared

• Patricia A. Champ

  19 shared

• Rebecca Moore

  University of Tennessee at Knoxville

  11 shared

• Gregory L. Poe

  9 shared

• Barry L. Johnson

  8 shared

• Richard T. Woodward

  7 shared

Education

• PhD, Mining Engineering

  Virginia Tech

  2022

• MSc, Mining Engineering

  Virginia Tech

  2020

• BSc, Mining Engineering

  Virginia Tech

  2002

• Graduate Certificate, Mining Engineering

  European Mining Course

  2002

Awards & honors

• Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), doctoral…
• Virginia Tech College of Engineering, Outstanding Young Alum…
• SME Mining & Exploration Division, Outstanding Young Profess…