Australia currently has the largest oil shale refining plant in the world, operating in Gladstone, Queensland. This plant uses a thermal process to extract and condense shale oil products from shale mined on site. Upon commissioning in 1999, the plant was found to be emitting unexpectedly high levels of odour from its single stack. This emission caused substantial nuisance in a small residential community several kilometres from the plant.

The Odour Unit was contracted by the company in May 2000 to provide all odour sampling and testing services for the development. A previous odour testing company was found to be unable to adequately measure the extent and variability of the emissions. Since that time TOU has been involved with 10 full odour surveys of the plant, during a successful campaign by the shale oil company to reduce odour emissions. The company's strategy was based upon obtaining a better understanding of the cause of the odour emissions within the extraction and refining process. As a result of the odour concentration and emission rate data provided by TOU the company has been able to reduce total plant emissions by more than 85 per cent. The work is on-going.

For each odour survey TOU relocated its mobile olfactometry laboratory to Gladstone. This enabled prompt testing of all samples and optimum responsiveness to the client. No other odour testing consultant in Australia is able to offer this service.