Caterpillar Oil & Gas has manufactured its first gas engine at Caterpillar China Tianjin Ltd. (CTL) for oil and gas applications. According to Caterpillar, production of the G3520J in China provides regional customers with faster product delivery and dealer support.

Ideal for gas compression applications, the G3520J has a minimum rating of 1275 bhp (1286 bkW) and a bore and stroke of 6.7 x 7.5 in. (170 x 190 mm).

“With the large opportunity for natural gas growth in China, and the Asia-Pacific region, providing an in-region product to support that growth is consistent with Caterpillar’s strategy to help our customers succeed,” said Michael Coppinger, Caterpillar Oil & Gas, product definition manager for gas compression.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., CTL is only facility that builds Cat G3500 series engines and generator sets in China. CTL started as a signed investment agreement in November 2010 and has been the company’s single largest investment in the Asia Pacific (AP) region. The US$300 million, 2.6 million sq.ft. (250,000 m2) facility manufacturers 3500 series engines and generator sets, serving such industries as gas compression, power generation, oil field platform, well servicing, rail, marine, mining, and industrial applications.

“Not only are we helping our customers win by providing an in-region product for growing natural gas prospects, but with many components manufactured in-country, locally sourced suppliers benefit as well,” said Caterpillar’s gas compression market consultant, Bill Mermoud.

The CTL facility provides oil and gas products for China, AP, Africa & Middle East (AME), Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) regions. Product support for the G3520J is available through Caterpillar’s dealer network.