Patent ID: 8093440

Claim:
A process for separation of a feed gas containing methane, C 2 and heavier hydrocarbon components into a volatile residue gas fraction and a relatively less volatile fraction containing said C 2 components and heavier hydrocarbon components, said process comprising: (a) cooling said feed gas in one or more heat exchangers and then separating the cooled feed gas in a separator into a first residue vapor and a first liquid which contains C 2 and other lighter and heavier hydrocarbons; and (b) delivering a first part of said first liquid containing C 2 to a heavy-ends fractionation column wherein said first liquid is separated into a second residue containing lighter hydrocarbons and a liquid product containing C 2 ; (c) cooling said second residue to partially condense it; (d) cooling a second part of said first liquid containing C 2 from (b) and combining the cooled second part of said first liquid with the partially condensed second residue stream from (c) resulting in the formation of a third liquid stream and a third residue vapor; (e) dividing said third liquid produced in (d) into first and second parts; (f) further cooling the first part of said third liquid; (g) directing the second part of the third liquid to said heavy-ends fractionation column; (h) intimately contacting at least part of said first residue vapor with the cooled first part of third liquid from (f) in at least one contacting stage and thereafter separating a fourth residue vapor and a fourth liquid containing C 2 from said at least one contacting stage; (i) supplying said fourth liquid to a heat exchanger for heating said fourth liquid, and thereafter supplying said fourth liquid into said heavy-ends fractionation column as a feed thereto; (j) recovering as product the combined heated third residue vapor and said fourth residue vapor; and (j) recovering as product said second liquid stream from said heavy-ends fractionation column.