Ethane recovery or ethane rejection operation
First Claim
1. A method for operating a natural gas liquids processing (NGL) system, the system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the method comprising:
- cooling a feed stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane in a heat exchanger to yield a chilled feed stream;
introducing the chilled feed stream into a separation vessel having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, wherein the chilled feed stream is introduced into the first portion of the separation vessel; and
when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration;
heating a bottom stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a heated bottom stream;
introducing the heated bottom stream into the second portion of the separation vessel;
introducing an overhead stream of the first portion into the third portion of the separation vessel;
introducing a bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion the separation vessel;
heating an overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the overhead stream of the third portion comprises ethane in an amount of at least about 5% by volume;
introducing a bottom stream of the second portion into a reboiler; and
collecting a reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume; and
when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration;
introducing the bottom stream of the first portion into the second portion of the separation vessel;
cooling the overhead stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a first chilled overhead stream;
introducing the first chilled overhead stream into the third portion of the separation vessel;
introducing the bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion of the separation vessel;
heating the overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the overhead stream of the third portion comprises ethane in an amount of less than about 10% by volume;
introducing the bottom stream of the second portion into the reboiler; and
collecting the reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of at least about 30% by volume,wherein the NGL system comprises a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, a fourth valve, a fifth valve, a sixth valve, a seventh valve, and an eighth valve, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth valves allow particular routes of fluid communication and disallow particular routes of fluid communication so as to configure the NGL system in either the ethane rejection configuration or the ethane recovery configuration.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for operating a natural gas liquids processing (NGL) system, the system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the method comprising, when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane rejection configuration, includes ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume, and when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration, collecting a reboiler bottom stream that, in the ethane recovery configuration, includes ethane in an amount of at least about 30% by volume.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for operating a natural gas liquids processing (NGL) system, the system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the method comprising:
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cooling a feed stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane in a heat exchanger to yield a chilled feed stream; introducing the chilled feed stream into a separation vessel having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, wherein the chilled feed stream is introduced into the first portion of the separation vessel; and when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration; heating a bottom stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a heated bottom stream; introducing the heated bottom stream into the second portion of the separation vessel; introducing an overhead stream of the first portion into the third portion of the separation vessel; introducing a bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion the separation vessel; heating an overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the overhead stream of the third portion comprises ethane in an amount of at least about 5% by volume; introducing a bottom stream of the second portion into a reboiler; and collecting a reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume; and
when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration;introducing the bottom stream of the first portion into the second portion of the separation vessel; cooling the overhead stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a first chilled overhead stream; introducing the first chilled overhead stream into the third portion of the separation vessel; introducing the bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion of the separation vessel; heating the overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the overhead stream of the third portion comprises ethane in an amount of less than about 10% by volume; introducing the bottom stream of the second portion into the reboiler; and collecting the reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of at least about 30% by volume, wherein the NGL system comprises a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, a fourth valve, a fifth valve, a sixth valve, a seventh valve, and an eighth valve, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth valves allow particular routes of fluid communication and disallow particular routes of fluid communication so as to configure the NGL system in either the ethane rejection configuration or the ethane recovery configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A natural gas processing (NGL) system, the NGL system being selectively configured in either an ethane rejection configuration or an ethane recovery configuration, the NGL system comprising:
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a heat exchanger; a separation vessel having a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion; and a reboiler, wherein the NGL system is configured to; cool a feed stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane in the heat exchanger to yield a chilled feed stream; introduce the chilled feed stream into the first portion of the separation vessel; and when the NGL system is in the ethane rejection configuration, the NGL system is further configured to; heat a bottom stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a heated bottom stream; introduce the heated bottom stream into the second portion of the separation vessel; introduce an overhead stream of the first portion into the third portion of the separation vessel; introduce a bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion of the separation vessel; heat an overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the third portion overhead stream comprises ethane in an amount of at least 5% by volume; introduce a bottom stream of the second portion into the reboiler; and collect a reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane rejection configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of less than 5% by volume; and when the NGL system is in the ethane recovery configuration, the NGL system is further configured to; introduce the bottom stream of the first portion into the second portion of the separation vessel; cool the overhead stream of the first portion in the heat exchanger to yield a first chilled overhead stream; introduce the first chilled overhead stream into the third portion of the separation vessel; introduce the bottom stream of the third portion into the second portion the separation vessel; heat the overhead stream of the third portion in the heat exchanger, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the third portion overhead stream comprises ethane in an amount of less than 10% by volume; introduce the bottom stream of the second portion into the reboiler; and collect the reboiler bottom stream, wherein in the ethane recovery configuration the reboiler bottom stream comprises ethane in an amount of at least 30% by volume, wherein the NGL system further comprises a first valve, a second valve, a third valve, a fourth valve, a fifth valve, a sixth valve, a seventh valve, and an eighth valve, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth valves allow particular routes of fluid communication and to disallow particular routes of fluid communication so as to configure the NGL system in either the ethane rejection configuration or the ethane recovery configuration. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for processing gas, comprising:
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feeding a feed gas stream comprising methane, ethane, and C3+ compounds to an integrated separation column, wherein the integrated separation column is selectably configurable between an ethane rejection configuration and an ethane recovery configuration; operating the integrated separation column in the ethane rejection configuration, wherein the feed gas stream is cooled and subsequently flashed in a bottom isolated portion of the integrated separation column to form a flash vapor, wherein the flash vapor is reduced pressure and subsequently fed as a vapor to an upper isolated portion of the integrated separation column;
wherein an overhead stream from an intermediate isolated portion of the integrated separation column is cooled and fed as a liquid to the upper isolated portion of the integrated separation column;recovering an overhead residual gas stream comprising methane and ethane from the integrated separation column, wherein the overhead residual gas stream comprises equal to or greater than 40 volume percent of the ethane in the feed gas stream; recovering a bottom natural gas liquid (NGL ) product stream comprising ethane and C3+ compounds from the integrated separation column; discontinuing operation of the integrated separation column in the ethane rejection configuration; reconfiguring the integrated separation column from the ethane rejection configuration to the ethane recovery configuration; operating the integrated separation column in the ethane rejection configuration, wherein the feed gas stream is cooled and subsequently flashed in the bottom isolated portion of the integrated separation column to form the flash vapor, wherein the flash vapor is cooled and subsequently fed as a liquid to an upper isolated portion of the integrated separation column; wherein the overhead stream from the intermediate isolated portion of the integrated separation column is fed as the vapor to the upper isolated portion of the integrated separation column; recovering the overhead residual gas stream comprising methane and ethane from the integrated separation column; and recovering the bottom natural gas liquid (NGL) product stream comprising ethane and C3+ compounds from the integrated separation column, wherein the overhead residual gas stream comprises equal to or greater than 95 volume percent o f the ethane in the feed gas stream.
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Specification