Tom Morimoto

Tom Morimoto (1918 - ) was born in Edmonton, but lived in McMurray (later Fort McMurray) from the age of two. Morimoto Drive in Fort McMurray is named after his father, a pioneer in the town. Thomas returned to Edmonton for his schooling, but by 1934 he was working in the north, trading for muskrat skins near Fort Chipewyan.

Within a short time, Morimoto had changed his line of work. Having learned Morse Code, he found a job with Canadian Airways as a radio operator. This proved a marketable skill, and by 1937 he was manning the radio at Bitumount. When one of the tubes in the radio burned out, he moved over to working in Robert Fitzsimmons’s oil sands plant. Morimoto worked in all parts of the plant, and later was able to recount many details of his experience. This was the beginning of his oil and gas career.

By September 1937, Morimoto had moved on again, this time to the Northwest Territories. He worked for a while at the Negus gold mine at Yellowknife. In spite of being only 5’2” (157 cm) tall, Morimoto was accepted by

the Canadian Army as a radio operator in 1940, and served in Europe during World War II. Upon his return, he entered the University of Alberta, where he studied chemical engineering.

In August 1949, having completed a bachelor of engineering degree, Morimoto was hired by the fuels division of the Research Council of Alberta to work on the problem of reducing the ash content of coal. He continued studying towards a master of science in chemical engineering, while working as an assistant research engineer. In 1951, Morimoto was one of five assistants who helped organize the Athabasca Oil Sands Conference, and can be seen in the documentary photos and movies produced for the event. Morimoto was certainly a trailblazer in the oil industry in Alberta and went on to have a long and successful international career in the oil and gas business, notably in Dubai. He wrote a memoir, entitled Breaking Trail: From Canada’s Northern Frontier to the Oilfields of Dubai, recounting his experiences.

OIL SANDS, The Scientific and Industrial Research Council of Alberta

Karl Clark begins his long career investigating Alberta’s oil sands.

Robert Cosmas Fitzsimmons visits the Athabasca River and purchases an oil lease.

Karl Clark and Sidney Blair build prototype hot water separation plants.

International Bitumen Company Ltd. is incorporated.

Karl Clark’s hot water separation plant moves to the Clearwater River, near Fort McMurray.

Karl Clark is issued Patent 289058 for “Bituminuous [sic] Sand Processing”.

Robert Fitzsimmons builds his first separation plant at Bitumount.

Robert Fitzsimmons builds a new plant designed to produce 200 barrels of oil per day, but it runs for only a short while.

Robert Fitzsimmons is issued Patent 326747 for a “Process and Apparatus for Recovering Bitumen.”

Robert Fitzsimmons builds a refinery at Bitumount.

Montreal financier Lloyd R. Champion buys controlling interest in International Bitumen Company Ltd. and changes name to Oil Sands Ltd.

Ernest Manning, Premier of Alberta, announces a loan of $250,000 to Oil Sands Ltd. to build a prototype oil sands separation plant at Bitumount.

Agreement with Oil Sands Ltd. is cancelled. The Bitumount project becomes known as the Alberta Government Oil Sands Project.

Karl Clark is issued Patent 448231 for “Extracting Oil from Bituminous Sand.”

Alberta Government Oil Sands Project plant at Bitumount is completed.

Blair Report indicates that developing the oils sands could be profitable.

Over one hundred delegates attend the Athabasca Oil Sands Conference at the University of Alberta.

Government of Alberta puts the Bitumount plant and 5,784 acres up for sale, but does not receive any adequate bids. The plant remains non-operational.

Robert Fitzsimmons is issued Patent 493081 for a “Process for Recovering Bitumen from Tar Sands.”

Bitumount plant is sold, but no significant development occurs and it is finally abandoned in 1958.

Bitumount is designated a Provincial Historic Resource.