Patent ID: 8534094

Claim:
A method of liquefying a hydrocarbon stream, the method at least comprising the steps of: (a) providing a hydrocarbon feed stream; (b) passing the hydrocarbon feed stream through an NGL recovery system to separate the hydrocarbon feed stream into at least a methane-enriched overhead stream and a C 2 + enriched bottom stream; (c) passing the entire methane-enriched overhead stream through at least a first compressor to provide a methane-compressed stream; (d) liquefying the methane-compressed stream to provide a first liquefied stream; (e) reducing the pressure of the first liquefied stream to provide a mixed-phase stream; (f) passing the mixed-phase stream through an end gas/liquid separator to provide an end gaseous stream and a liquefied hydrocarbon product stream; (g) passing the end gaseous stream through one or more end-compressors to provide an end-compressed stream; and (h) feeding at least a recycle fraction of the end-compressed stream into the methane enriched overhead stream.