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G3600 Hero Image

Behind the Scenes of the Cat® G3600
A4 Gen 2

Gas compression operations are an essential part of the production process, ensuring pressurized gas can be moved through pipelines for use in our communities, commercial stations and beyond. Downtime is not an option. With the introduction of the Cat® G3600 in 1991, Caterpillar delivered an engine with the power needed to support increased gas production while providing the operation and maintenance ease that operators demand. Over the decades, the G3600 has evolved to continue meeting the needs of operators and the energy industry at large. 

Revolutionizing an Industry

The first prototype of a Cat G3606 gas compression engine was installed outside Syracuse, Kansas. The customer was impressed with the engine’s performance and ordered more production models. With routine overhauls, these engines are still operating more than 30 years later. Cat engines are designed to be rebuilt at a fraction of the cost of an engine replacement, making the G3600 series a game changer for the industry.

The dawn of a new millennium brought a new leap forward with the introduction of the ADEM A3 whole-engine management system on the G3600 series, which established a new standard for ease of use and reliability for gas engines. It also proved timely as the U.S. domestic natural gas industry learned to use directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing together to unlock the oil and gas held in shale formations. The addition of pad drilling brought multiple wells together, replacing many small wellhead compressors with a single larger compressor. The G3600 was the perfect fit for this new production strategy.

In 2015, the bar for large gas compression operations was raised again with the introduction of the G3600 A4 Gen 1 engine. A thorough redesign of the combustion system brought more power, lower emissions, improved fuel efficiency and greatly expanded fuel flexibility all at once. The updated ADEM A4 electronics also delivered enhanced input/output capabilities and upgraded operator interface options, while other design details enabled simpler and smarter package integration.

An Engine for Today’s Gas Compression Needs

Fast forward to the present day, and there are more than 8,500 gas engines with over 150 million hours in the field. As the G3600 series continues to evolve to keep pace with industry dynamics, the Cat G3600 A4 Gen 2 is the latest incarnation of the groundbreaking engine.

Compared to earlier designs, the G3600 A4 Gen 2 can do more work within the same engine footprint. The engine delivers an optional 10% power increase with lower emissions compared to the previous model. In fact, over 80,000 hours of extensive lab tests that simulated operator conditions yielded impressive results. The G3600 A4 Gen 2 can achieve the following performance metrics compared to the preceding model*:

  • Reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by more than 32%.
  • Reduce CH4 by more than 33%.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 5%.
  • Reduce HCHO by more than 24%.
  • Reduce CO by more than 13%.

Additionally, the G3600 A4 Gen 2 helps enhance operational efficiency by reducing the number of engines needed to accomplish the same task. This has the potential to cut operating costs while decreasing fuel consumption and GHG emissions – all top-of-mind goals for today’s gas compression operators.

Like its predecessor, the G3600 A4 Gen 2 is built to last. It has the same service intervals as the previous model and specifies a major overhaul at 100,000 hours. The engine allows for multiple overhaul cycles to help lower TCO and provide engine longevity.

To extend the engine lifecycle of previous models, Gen 2 upgrade kits for G3600 A3 and A4 engines were released in 2023. This means A3 engines which could be more than 20 years old can now significantly lower methane emissions compared to the original A3 engine. In many cases, the Gen 2 upgrade – which requires new pistons, cylinder liners and pre-chambers – can be performed at a scheduled major overhaul, rendering the upgrade cost-neutral.

The Cat G3600 engines combine over 30 years of learnings and best practices to deliver unmatched power, fuel efficiency and reliable performance – backed by the extensive global support of the Cat dealer network – for improved gas compression operations. As operators navigate the industry’s changing landscape, they can continue to rely on the G3600 series to meet their economic and operational needs.

*Operation conditions – 85MN, 905 BTU/scf, 100% speed and load, 77F ambient temperature, 500 ft altitude.

Production of G3600 A4 Gen2
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Production of G3600 A4 Gen2

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