Patent ID: 7251956

Claim:
A light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction process for the liquefaction of selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas, said process including a light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train to liquefy an initial amount of light hydrocarbon gas and one or more optional subsequent expansion phases to said light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train to liquefy additional selected quantities of light hydrocarbon gas up to a selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas for the process, the process comprising: a) constructing the light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction launch train for the liquefaction of the initial amount of light hydrocarbon gas, the launch train including facilities for light hydrocarbon gas pretreatment to remove at least one of acid gases, mercury, and water; facilities for refrigerant compression; facilities for cryogenic heat exchange; access services; facilities for light hydrocarbon gas liquefaction; facilities for liquefied light hydrocarbon gas product storage and shipping; and C 3+ hydrocarbon removal facilities; b) positioning at least a portion of the facilities in the launch train for shared use by the launch train and one or more subsequent optional modular expansion phases for liquefaction of up to the selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas; c) constructing at least a portion of the launch train facilities for shared use by modular expansion, as required by the addition of one or more subsequent optional expansion phases to the launch train, up to a maximum capacity as required to liquefy the selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas, the shared use facilities of the launch train being designed at a size sufficient to liquefy the selected maximum quantity of light hydrocarbon gas in the launch train as constructed and expanded in the one or more optional expansion phases to the required capacity; and d) processing light hydrocarbon gas in the launch train to produce liquefied light hydrocarbon gas.