Processing produced fluids of high pressure gas condensate reservoirs
First Claim
1. Process comprising producing a residue gas stream and recovering natural gas liquids and stabilized condensate from a produced stream from high pressure gas condensate wells by,introducing the produced fluid stream into a first separator zone operated at about a first pressure, the first pressure being about pipeline pressure for the residue gas stream, and separating the produced fluid stream into a first liquid fraction and a first vapor fraction;
- withdrawing the first liquid fraction from the first separator zone and introducing the withdrawn first liquid fraction into a second separator zone at a lower pressure of operation than the first separator zone, and separating the first liquid fraction into a second vapor fraction and a second liquid fraction, the lower pressure of operation being such that the second vapor fraction is compressible by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure;
withdrawing the second liquid fraction from the second separator zone and introducing the withdrawn second liquid fraction as feed into a first distillation column comprising a plurality of vapor-liquid contact devices and operated under conditions effective to produce a first overhead stream enriched in methane, and a first bottoms stream enriched in heavier components of the second liquid fraction, the pressure in the first overhead stream being such that the first overhead stream is compressible by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure;
withdrawing a portion of liquid from adjacent the bottom of the first distillation column, introducing a pressure differential thereinto, and circulating the withdrawn portion by forced circulation through a first reboiler and reintroducing thus reboiled fluid adjacent the bottom of the first distillation column to maintain an effective operating temperature therein;
withdrawing the first bottoms stream from the first distillation column and introducing the withdrawn first bottoms stream as feed into a second distillation column containing a plurality of vapor-liquid contact devices and operated under conditions effective to produce a second overhead stream enriched in natural gas liquid components of the first bottoms stream and a second bottoms stream enriched in heavier components of the first bottoms stream;
withdrawing a portion of liquid from adjacent the bottom of the second distillation column, introducing a pressure differential thereinto, and circulating the withdrawn portion by forced circulation through a second bottoms reboiler and back to adjacent the bottom of the second distillation column to maintain effective operating temperatures in the second distillation column; and
compressing the second vapor fraction and the first overhead stream by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure and combining the thus compressed second vapor fraction and the first overhead stream with the first vapor fraction to produce a residue gas stream at pipeline pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A production facility utilizes a first high pressure separation zone, a second intermediate pressure separation zone, a first distillation zone, and a second distillation zone, where the vapor fraction from the second intermediate pressure separation zone and the overhead stream from the first distillation column are recompressed to about the first high pressure. Such a process can produce specification residue gas streams, natural gas liquid streams, and a stabilized condensate stream.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. Process comprising producing a residue gas stream and recovering natural gas liquids and stabilized condensate from a produced stream from high pressure gas condensate wells by,
introducing the produced fluid stream into a first separator zone operated at about a first pressure, the first pressure being about pipeline pressure for the residue gas stream, and separating the produced fluid stream into a first liquid fraction and a first vapor fraction; -
withdrawing the first liquid fraction from the first separator zone and introducing the withdrawn first liquid fraction into a second separator zone at a lower pressure of operation than the first separator zone, and separating the first liquid fraction into a second vapor fraction and a second liquid fraction, the lower pressure of operation being such that the second vapor fraction is compressible by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure; withdrawing the second liquid fraction from the second separator zone and introducing the withdrawn second liquid fraction as feed into a first distillation column comprising a plurality of vapor-liquid contact devices and operated under conditions effective to produce a first overhead stream enriched in methane, and a first bottoms stream enriched in heavier components of the second liquid fraction, the pressure in the first overhead stream being such that the first overhead stream is compressible by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure; withdrawing a portion of liquid from adjacent the bottom of the first distillation column, introducing a pressure differential thereinto, and circulating the withdrawn portion by forced circulation through a first reboiler and reintroducing thus reboiled fluid adjacent the bottom of the first distillation column to maintain an effective operating temperature therein; withdrawing the first bottoms stream from the first distillation column and introducing the withdrawn first bottoms stream as feed into a second distillation column containing a plurality of vapor-liquid contact devices and operated under conditions effective to produce a second overhead stream enriched in natural gas liquid components of the first bottoms stream and a second bottoms stream enriched in heavier components of the first bottoms stream; withdrawing a portion of liquid from adjacent the bottom of the second distillation column, introducing a pressure differential thereinto, and circulating the withdrawn portion by forced circulation through a second bottoms reboiler and back to adjacent the bottom of the second distillation column to maintain effective operating temperatures in the second distillation column; and compressing the second vapor fraction and the first overhead stream by a single stage of compression to about the first pressure and combining the thus compressed second vapor fraction and the first overhead stream with the first vapor fraction to produce a residue gas stream at pipeline pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification