When the Australian gas market demanded a new reliable sub-four litre engine to power its wellheads, Kubota delivered. The new Kubota WG2503-N-E3 and WG3800-N-E3 engines run on natural gas and feature a low-maintenance coil-on-plug ignition system.
The WG engines have been built to withstand the harsh conditions of Australia’s oil and gas fields and were developed in partnership with the respected player in the power generation industry, Shellby Power.
Shellby Power managing director Nick Ramsey said the company has extensively tested WG engines in coal seam gas fields, collating data and working closely with Japanese Kubota factory engineers. Mr Ramsey said:
“Back in early 2019, we contacted Kubota Australia to discuss how they could meet our needs and reduce risks within our growing business.”
“The addition of the WG engines improves the dependability of Shellby Power’s genset package, living up to the high expectations customers expect from our products while also reducing maintenance requirements and operating costs.”
“We’ve got more than 8,000 hours on our engine and we’ve seen a clear reduction in our maintenance and operating costs. It’s very reliable, smooth and quiet, with no oil consumption.”
Fuelled by natural gas, testing shows Kubota WG engines provide continuous, uninterrupted power, saving operators four per cent per year in fuel costs. This gives gas companies more gas to sell.
Kubota Australia National Power Equipment account manager James Tibos said Kubota’s ability to develop a fuel-efficient natural gas engine is a game changer for users. Mr Tibos said:
“Kubota WG engines provide a longer lifecycle than automotive engines and combined with being cheaper to power and maintain, there is a clear benefit to using the new WG engines.”
“The feature that makes WG engines stand out from automotive engines is the coil-on-plug ignition system. The ignition system eliminates spark plug wires, is water resistant, starts easily and runs smoothly, with sensors managing the spark.”
“The WG range shares the same engine block, premium timing, gear train cam, valve systems and cast- iron cylinder heads as its turbo diesel counterpart, ensuring durability isn’t compromised.”
The engines have knock sensors that detect detonation through mechanical vibration in the engine block, cylinder or head. These sensors send instant feedback to the ignition system that retards spark and reduces knock intensity, which protects the engine and ensures continued production.
The collaborative effort, undertaken by Kubota and Shellby Power provide gas field operators with an efficient, low fuel usage engine that will increase the profit of the wells for the operators.
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