Integrated NGL recovery and liquefied natural gas production
First Claim
1. In a process for recovery of components heavier than methane from a feed of methane in admixture with ethane and heavier hydrocarbon(s) by a process comprising:
- introducing the feed into a scrub column at a first location;
withdrawing from the scrub column a first overhead vapor stream depleted in components heavier than methane and a bottoms stream enriched in components heavier than methane;
cooling and partially condensing the first overhead vapor stream to form a first two-phase stream;
separating the first two-phase stream to provide a second overhead vapor stream and a methane-rich first reflux stream;
introducing the methane-rich first reflux stream at a second location in the scrub column above the first location; and
separating the bottoms stream into an ethane-enriched stream and one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane;
the improvement consisting in that an ethane-enriched second reflux stream is derived from the ethane-enriched stream and introduced into the scrub column at a location selected from the second location and a third location above the first location.
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Abstract
The separation of methane from an admixture (110) with ethane and higher hydrocarbons, especially natural gas, using a scrub column (114), in which the admixture is separated into a methane-rich overhead (116) that is partially condensed (122) to provide reflux to the column (114) and liquid methane-depleted bottoms liquid (126), is improved by providing additional reflux (136) derived from an ethane enriched stream (130) from fractionation (128) of the bottoms liquid. Preferably, absorber liquid (140) from the fractionation (128) also is introduced into the scrub column. The vapor fraction (120) remaining after partial condensation can be liquefied (122) to provide LNG product (124).
67 Citations
49 Claims
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1. In a process for recovery of components heavier than methane from a feed of methane in admixture with ethane and heavier hydrocarbon(s) by a process comprising:
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introducing the feed into a scrub column at a first location;
withdrawing from the scrub column a first overhead vapor stream depleted in components heavier than methane and a bottoms stream enriched in components heavier than methane;
cooling and partially condensing the first overhead vapor stream to form a first two-phase stream;
separating the first two-phase stream to provide a second overhead vapor stream and a methane-rich first reflux stream;
introducing the methane-rich first reflux stream at a second location in the scrub column above the first location; and
separating the bottoms stream into an ethane-enriched stream and one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane;
the improvement consisting in that an ethane-enriched second reflux stream is derived from the ethane-enriched stream and introduced into the scrub column at a location selected from the second location and a third location above the first location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification