Separation and dehydration of heavy hydrocarbons from a gaseous mixture

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF SELECTIVELY ABSORBING A HEAVY HYDROCARBON FROM A HYDROCARBON GAS FEED STREAM CONTAINING THE SAME WHEREIN SAID FEED STREAM IS TO BE SUBJECTED TO ABSORPTION AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE HYDRATE FORMATION POINT THEREFOR WHICH COMPRISES FIRST DIRECTLY CONTACTING SAID FEED STREAM IN A CONTACT ZONE WITH A COLD DEHYDRATING LIQUID TO CONCOMITANTLY CHILL AND DEHYDRATE SAID STREAM, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE DEHYDRATING LIQUID PASSING TO SAID CONTACT ZONE BEING BELOW BOTH THAT AT WHICH THE GAS FEED STREAM IS TO BE SUBJECTED TO ABSORPTON AND BELOW THE HYDRATE FORMATION POINT OF SAID GAS FEED STREAM, RECOVERING THE RESULTING CHILLED AND DEHYDRATED GAS STREAM FROM SAID CONTACT ZONE AND PASSING IT TO AN ABSORPTION ZONE, CONTACTING THE DEHYDRATED AND CHILLED GAS IN SAID ABSORPTION ZONE WITH AN ABSORPTION MENSTRUUM TO SELECTIVELY ABSORB SAID HEAVY HYDROCARBON AND THEN IN A SEPARATE STEP RECOVERING THE ABSORBED HYDROCARBON.