Process and apparatus for treating natural gas
First Claim
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1. A process for treating gaseous natural gas stream including carbon dioxide and water vapor to recover ethane, which comprises:
- a. heating said gaseous natural gas stream;
b. expanding said gaseous natural gas stream;
c. passing said expanded natural gas stream through a drying section to remove water vapor;
d. introducing into a demethanizer zone said dried and expanded natural gas stream of step (c) to separate a methane-enriched gaseous stream from an ethane-enriched stream;
e. withdrawing said ethane-enriched stream from said demethanizer zone;
f. withdrawing said methane-enriched gaseous stream from said demethanizer zone; and
g. compressing at least a major portion of said methane-enriched stream to a delivery pressure by the work produced by expanding said gaseous natural gas stream.
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Abstract
There is disclosed a process and apparatus for recovering ethane and heavier hydrocarbons from natural gas by heating the natural gas stream prior to the expansion and introduction thereof into a demethanizer operating under cryogenic conditions. Ethane and the heavier hydrocarbons are recovered from the demethanizer as well as a residual gaseous methane stream which is compressed to a pipeline receiving pressure by the work of expansion without requiring a booster compressor.
41 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A process for treating gaseous natural gas stream including carbon dioxide and water vapor to recover ethane, which comprises:
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a. heating said gaseous natural gas stream; b. expanding said gaseous natural gas stream; c. passing said expanded natural gas stream through a drying section to remove water vapor; d. introducing into a demethanizer zone said dried and expanded natural gas stream of step (c) to separate a methane-enriched gaseous stream from an ethane-enriched stream; e. withdrawing said ethane-enriched stream from said demethanizer zone; f. withdrawing said methane-enriched gaseous stream from said demethanizer zone; and g. compressing at least a major portion of said methane-enriched stream to a delivery pressure by the work produced by expanding said gaseous natural gas stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for treating a gaseous natural gas stream including water vapor to recover ethane and heavier hydrocarbon which comprises:
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a. means for heating said gaseous natural gas stream; b. expander means for reducing the pressure of said gaseous natural gas stream; c. drier means for removing water therefrom; d. a demethanizer for separating said expanded natural gas stream into a methane-enriched gaseous stream and an ethane-enriched stream; and e. compressor means for raising the pressure of said methane-enriched gaseous stream.
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Specification