Patent ID: 8192528

Claim:
A method for producing a consumer gas stream from a raw natural gas stream that contains mercury vapors and other undesired constituents, the method comprising: separating any water and hydrocarbon condensate that is present from said natural gas stream; treating said natural gas stream with an amine to remove any acid gases; dehydrating said natural gas stream; cooling said natural gas stream to condense the mercury and any remaining hydrocarbons; providing a separator vessel that includes a fluid inlet and a gas outlet, a deflector proximate the inlet adapted to deflect said natural gas stream passing through said inlet, a mercury trap having a valved outlet, and a hydrocarbon condensate outlet for separately discharging hydrocarbons; causing said cooled natural gas, mercury and any other condensates to flow through the separator inlet and into contact with said deflector, whereby said condensed mercury settles to the bottom of said mercury trap and said condensates accumulate on the surface of the mercury in the trap, and said hydrocarbon condensates are separately collected via the hydrocarbon condensate outlet; and discharging said treated natural gas stream from the separator vessel outlet as consumer gas.