Echelon Global and the bitumen business

Echelon can supply refined bitumen to buyers worldwide. Due to its extensive sources and the quantities that are available to it to purchase, Echelon passes on the benefits of collective bargaining to its customers.

Bitumen is difficult to handle physically as it attains a semisolid to solid state, depending on the surrounding temperature. The process of filling drums is conducted in three stages at high temperatures via a loading arm. Echelon’s bitumen is loaded onto trucks at the refinery at a temperature of 120 to 160^oC. When bitumen is transferred to drums it should have a minimum temperature of 80^oC to be able to flow freely. The drums are carried to containers and loaded to be sent to port for shipping to Echelon’s clients. Once more than half of the consignment is prepared, Echelon invites independent inspectors to take samples, ascertain the quality of the drums, and inspect the general cargo. Upon arrival at the shipping port the cargo is inspected independently for a second and final time prior to being loaded aboard its freighter. Customs declaration processes are conducted and concluded by Echelon’s team prior to the ship departing with its cargo for the destination port.

Quality Assurance

Echelon puts great care into the logistics of delivering from refineries to its customers. The prices we will quote involve factors that account for seasonal variations, modes of transportation and delivery options, amongst other variables. Bitumen is usually graded by its penetration value (PEN), which is a measure of a bitumen sample’s consistency. This is determined by the depth to which a standard needle can penetrate the sample under those conditions prescribed by BS EN 1426 or its equivalents. The lower the PEN, the stiffer is the bitumen.