Patent ID: 8413463
Filing Date: 2013-04-09
Classification: F25J

Abstract:
1. A process for recovery of natural gas liquids from a feed gas stream, comprising: (a) supplying a feed gas stream and cooling the feed gas stream in a heat exchanger; (b) feeding the cooled feed gas stream to a distillation column wherein lighter components of the feed gas stream are removed from the distillation column as an overhead vapor stream and heavier components of the feed gas stream are removed from the distillation column in the bottoms as a product stream; (c) feeding the distillation column overhead stream to the heat exchanger and cooling the stream to at least partially liquefy the overhead stream; (d) feeding the partially liquefied distillation overhead stream to a first separator; (e) separating the vapors and liquids in the first separator to produce an overhead vapor stream comprising sales gas and a bottoms stream comprising a mixed refrigerant; (f) feeding the mixed refrigerant stream to the heat exchanger to provide cooling, wherein the mixed refrigerant stream vaporizes as it passes through the heat exchanger; (g) compressing the vaporized mixed refrigerant stream; (h) splitting the compressed mixed refrigerant stream into a return stream and a recovery stream; (i) feeding the recovery stream to a unit for recovery of lighter hydrocarbons in the mixed refrigerant; (j) feeding the return stream to a second separator; and (k) feeding the bottoms stream from the second separator to the distillation column as a reflux stream.