Patent ID: 8505332

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream comprises carbon dioxide, natural gas liquid (NGL), heavy hydrocarbons, and acid gas, wherein the NGL comprises C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons, and wherein the heavy hydrocarbons comprise C 9+ hydrocarbons; separating the hydrocarbon feed stream into a heavy hydrocarbon rich stream and a carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the heavy hydrocarbon rich stream comprises the C 9+ hydrocarbons, and wherein the carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide, the C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons, and the acid gas; separating the carbon dioxide recycle stream into a sour NGL rich stream and a purified carbon dioxide recycle stream, wherein the sour NGL rich stream comprises the C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons and the acid gas, and wherein the purified carbon dioxide recycle stream comprises the carbon dioxide; and separating the sour NGL rich stream into a sweet NGL rich stream and an acid gas stream, wherein the sweet NGL rich stream comprises the C 3 -C 8 hydrocarbons, and wherein the acid gas stream comprises the acid gas, wherein the carbon dioxide is not removed from the hydrocarbon feed stream and is not removed from the carbon dioxide recycle stream prior to separating the carbon dioxide recycle stream into the sour NGL rich stream and the purified carbon dioxide recycle stream, and wherein the hydrocarbon feed stream, the carbon dioxide recycle stream, and the sour NGL rich stream are not subjected to cryogenic conditions, membranes, and carbon dioxide recovery solvents between being received and being separated into the heavy hydrocarbon rich stream, the purified carbon dioxide recycle stream, the sweet NGL rich stream, and the acid gas stream.