A method for producing a nitrogen-depleted LNG product, the method comprising: (a) passing a natural gas feed stream through a first circuit of a main heat exchanger (506/510/522) to cool the natural gas feed stream and liquefy at least a portion of the natural gas stream against a first refrigerant, thereby producing a first cooled LNG stream; (b) withdrawing the first cooled LNG stream from the main heat exchanger (506/510/522); (c) expanding the first cooled LNG stream to form a first reduced pressure LNG stream; (d) introducing the first reduced pressure LNG stream into a nitrogen rectifier column at a first location; (e) withdrawing a first LNG bottoms stream from a bottom end of the nitrogen rectifier column; (f) withdrawing an overhead stream from the nitrogen rectifier column; (g) cooling the first LNG bottoms stream to create a subcooled LNG stream; (h) separating the subcooled LNG stream into an LNG product stream and a vapor NG stream in a nitrogen stripper column and directing at least a portion of the LNG product stream to a flash drum or an LNG storage tank; (i) collecting at least one selected from the group of: a flash gas stream from the flash drum and a boil-off gas stream from the LNG storage tank to form a recycle stream; (j) passing the recycle stream (558, 566) through a second circuit of the main heat exchanger (506/510/522) to cool the recycle stream and liquefy at least a portion of the recycle stream, thereby producing an at least partially liquified recycle stream; (k) expanding the at least partially liquified recycle stream to form a reduced pressure recycle stream; (l) introducing the reduced pressure recycle stream into the nitrogen rectifier column at a second location, the second location being located above the first location and at least one separation stage being located in the nitrogen rectifier column between the first location and the second location; (m) withdrawing a nitrogen enriched vapor stream from an upper end of the nitrogen rectifier column, passing the nitrogen enriched vapor stream through a condenser heat exchanger located in the nitrogen stripper column to provide a boiling duty to the nitrogen stripper column, which produces an at least partially liquefied nitrogen enriched stream; and (n) returning the at least partially liquefied nitrogen enriched stream to the upper end of the nitrogen rectifier column. (a) passing a natural gas feed stream through a first circuit of a main heat exchanger (506/510/522) to cool the natural gas feed stream and liquefy at least a portion of the natural gas stream against a first refrigerant, thereby producing a first cooled LNG stream; (b) withdrawing the first cooled LNG stream from the main heat exchanger (506/510/522); (c) expanding the first cooled LNG stream to form a first reduced pressure LNG stream; (d) introducing the first reduced pressure LNG stream into a nitrogen rectifier column at a first location; (e) withdrawing a first LNG bottoms stream from a bottom end of the nitrogen rectifier column; (f) withdrawing an overhead stream from the nitrogen rectifier column; (g) cooling the first LNG bottoms stream to create a subcooled LNG stream; (h) separating the subcooled LNG stream into an LNG product stream and a vapor NG stream in a nitrogen stripper column and directing at least a portion of the LNG product stream to a flash drum or an LNG storage tank; (i) collecting at least one selected from the group of: a flash gas stream from the flash drum and a boil-off gas stream from the LNG storage tank to form a recycle stream; (j) passing the recycle stream (558, 566) through a second circuit of the main heat exchanger (506/510/522) to cool the recycle stream and liquefy at least a portion of the recycle stream, thereby producing an at least partially liquified recycle stream; (k) expanding the at least partially liquified recycle stream to form a reduced pressure recycle stream; (l) introducing the reduced pressure recycle stream into the nitrogen rectifier column at a second location, the second location being located above the first location and at least one separation stage being located in the nitrogen rectifier column between the first location and the second location; (m) withdrawing a nitrogen enriched vapor stream from an upper end of the nitrogen rectifier column, passing the nitrogen enriched vapor stream through a condenser heat exchanger located in the nitrogen stripper column to provide a boiling duty to the nitrogen stripper column, which produces an at least partially liquefied nitrogen enriched stream; and (n) returning the at least partially liquefied nitrogen enriched stream to the upper end of the nitrogen rectifier column.