Patent ID: 7437889

Claim:
A process for producing products from natural gas comprising: cooling a pressurized natural gas feed comprising helium in an amount of less than 0.5 volume % and methane to produce a liquefied first fluid; reducing the pressure of at least a portion of the first fluid to produce a reduced pressure first fluid and separating the reduced pressure first fluid into a first vapor comprising helium and methane and a first liquid comprising methane in a molar ratio of first vapor to first liquid of 0.0001 to 0.04; deriving at least a portion of a crude helium from at least a portion of the first vapor; reducing the pressure of at least a portion of the first liquid to produce a reduced pressure fluid and separating said reduced pressure fluid into a second vapor comprising methane and a second liquid comprising methane; reacting at least a portion of the methane from the second vapor to produce at least a portion of a synthesis gas; and deriving at least a portion of a liquefied natural gas product from at least a portion of the second liquid.