Patent ID: 7452390

Claim:
A method of controlling superheating of a compressed natural gas stream for transmission through a pipeline, the method comprising: a. dividing a stream of natural gas discharged from a high pressure gas compressor ( 106 ) into a first portion ( 108 ) and a second portion ( 202 ); b. passing the first portion ( 108 ) of the gas from the gas compressor to a heat exchanger ( 112 ) to heat the gas to a predetermined temperature; c. passing the first portion of gas ( 111 ) exiting the heat exchanger to an aftercooler ( 114 ); d. passing the second portion ( 202 ) of natural gas discharged from the gas compressor ( 106 ) to the aftercooler ( 114 ) without passing it through the heat exchanger ( 112 ), the second portion of gas and the first portion of gas being mixed at the aftercooler inlet and cooled by the aftercooler and discharged from the aftercooler as a cooled gas stream ( 116 ) having a temperature no greater than a first temperature; e. passing the cooled gas stream ( 116 ) from the aftercooler to a liquid discharge drum ( 118 ) to remove condensate from the cooled gas and discharging from the drum a partially dried gas stream ( 120 ) at a second temperature; f. passing the partially dried gas stream ( 120 ) from the discharge drum to the heat exchanger ( 112 ) in heat exchanging relation with the first portion of gas ( 108 ) from the gas compressor, and superheating at least a portion of the gas stream ( 120 ) to a third temperature to provide a superheated gas stream ( 129 ), the third temperature being controlled by an automated control loop responsive to a differential pressure across the gas compressor ( 106 ); and g. passing the superheated gas stream ( 129 ) into a tie-line ( 256 ) and injecting a predetermined amount of an enhanced corrosion inhibitor formulation into the tie-line to mix with the superheated gas stream, where the amount of enhanced corrosion inhibitor injected is proportioned in response to the third temperature.