Patent ID: 7475566

Claim:
A process of recovering hydrocarbons heavier than methane from liquefied natural gas (LNG) comprising, a) pumping liquid, low pressure LNG to a pressure of greater than 100 psia; b) directing the pressurized liquid LNG from step a) to a cold box where it is heat exchanged to increase its temperature; c) directing the heat exchanged pressurized liquid LNG from step b) to a separator where, in combination with a first and second reflux, a separator overhead is produced along with a separator bottoms; d) pressurizing the separator bottoms and then splitting the pressurized separator bottoms into first and second portions; e) directing the first portion of pressurized separator bottoms to a deethanizer as a reflux stream; f) heating the second portion of pressurized separator bottoms by directing the second portion to the cold box; g) directing the heated second portion of pressurized separator bottoms to the deethanizer; h) removing hydrocarbons heavier than methane as deethanizer bottoms; i) directing a deethanizer overhead as the second feed to the separator; h) removing the separator overhead from the separator and compressing the separator overhead prior to introduction into the cold box and heat exchanging with the pressurized liquid LNG to produce a re-liquefied pressurized LNG; and i) separating a portion of the re-liquefied pressurized LNG for use as the first reflux.