A process for separating an inlet gas stream containing methane and lighter components, C2 components, C3 components and heavier hydrocarbons into a more volatile gas fraction containing substantially all of the methane and lighter components and a less volatile hydrocarbon fraction containing a major portion of C2 components, C3 components and heavier hydrocarbons, the process comprising the steps of: cooling and partially condensing a feed gas stream having a feed gas pressure to provide a cooled feed stream; separating the cooled feed stream into a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream; splitting the first vapor stream into a first gas stream and a second gas stream; expanding the first gas stream to a low pressure so that the first gas stream forms a lower tower feed stream; supplying a fractionation tower with the lower tower feed stream, a first tower feed stream, and a second tower feed stream, the fractionation tower separating the lower tower feed stream, the first tower feed stream, and the second tower feed stream into a tower bottoms stream and a tower overhead stream; warming the tower overhead stream to produce a residue gas stream; supplying an absorber tower containing one or more mass transfer stages with the second gas stream as a lower absorber feed stream;the absorber tower producing an absorber overhead stream and an absorber bottoms stream; cooling and thereby substantially condensing the absorber overhead stream to produce the first tower feed stream; and maintaining quantities and temperatures of the first and second tower feed streams (40, 44), so that a tower overhead temperature of the tower overhead stream is maintained and a major portion of the C2 components, C3 components and heavier hydrocarbons is recovered in the tower bottoms stream characterised in that the process further comprises: cooling the first liquid stream to produce a substantially condensed first liquid stream and supplying the absorber tower with the substantially condensed first liquid stream as a top absorber feed stream. cooling and partially condensing a feed gas stream having a feed gas pressure to provide a cooled feed stream; separating the cooled feed stream into a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream; splitting the first vapor stream into a first gas stream and a second gas stream; expanding the first gas stream to a low pressure so that the first gas stream forms a lower tower feed stream; supplying a fractionation tower with the lower tower feed stream, a first tower feed stream, and a second tower feed stream, the fractionation tower separating the lower tower feed stream, the first tower feed stream, and the second tower feed stream into a tower bottoms stream and a tower overhead stream; warming the tower overhead stream to produce a residue gas stream; supplying an absorber tower containing one or more mass transfer stages with the second gas stream as a lower absorber feed stream;the absorber tower producing an absorber overhead stream and an absorber bottoms stream; cooling and thereby substantially condensing the absorber overhead stream to produce the first tower feed stream; and maintaining quantities and temperatures of the first and second tower feed streams (40, 44), so that a tower overhead temperature of the tower overhead stream is maintained and a major portion of the C2 components, C3 components and heavier hydrocarbons is recovered in the tower bottoms stream characterised in that the process further comprises: cooling the first liquid stream to produce a substantially condensed first liquid stream and supplying the absorber tower with the substantially condensed first liquid stream as a top absorber feed stream. cooling the first liquid stream to produce a substantially condensed first liquid stream and supplying the absorber tower with the substantially condensed first liquid stream as a top absorber feed stream.