Method of separating and recovering hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR TREATING A GASEOUS MIXTURE COMPRISING SATURATED C1 TO MORE THAN C5 HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER LOW-BOILING NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIALS, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO AN OIL ABSORPTION ZONE, OPERATING AT A PRESSURE OF FROM 400 TO 5,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE, AND THEREIN IN THE ONLY ABSORPTION OPERATIONS EMPLOYED DIRECTLY AND COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACTING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, FIRST WITH ABSORPTION OIL DENUDED OF BUTANES AND LIGHTER HYDROCARBON MATERIALS UNDER ABSORPTION CONDITIONS SO AS TO ABSORB PROPANE AND BUTANES FROM SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, AND SECOND WITH LEAN ABSORPTION OIL UNDER ABSORPTION CONDITIONS SO AS TO ABSOB C5 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, WITHDRAWING UNABSORBED HYDROCARBONS AND OTHER LOW-BOILING NORMALLY GASEOUS MATERIALS FROM SAID OIL ABSORPTION ZONE AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS, WITHDRAWING A RESULTING RICH ABSORPTION OIL FROM SAID ABSORPTION ZONE AND PASSING SAME DIRECTLY INTO A FLASH ZONE AND THEREIN FLASHING SAME, WITHDRAWING A VAPOROUS STREAM OF HYDROCARBON MATERIALS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM C5 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FLASH ZONE, WITHDRAWING FLASHED ABSORPTION OIL FROM SAID FLASH ZONE AND PASSING A FIRST PORTION OF SAME INTO SAID OIL ABSORPTION ZONE AS SAID ABSORPTION OIL DENUDED OF BUTANES AND LIGHTER HYDROCARBON MATERIALS DIRECTLY CONTACTED WITH SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, PASSING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID FLASHED OIL WITHDRAWN FROM SAID FLASH ZONE INTO A DISTILLATION AND RECOVERY ZONE AND THEREIN SEPARATING AND RECOVERING, A VAPOROUS HYDROCARBON STREAM SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM C5 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS, A LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM OF UNSTABILIZED GASOLINE AND LEAN ABSORPTION OIL, PASSING SAID LEAN ABSORPTION OIL INTO SAID OIL ABSORPTION ZONE AS SAID LEAN ABSORPTION OIL DIRECTLY CONTACTED WITH SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, PASSING SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBON STREAM OF UNSTABILIZED GASOLINE INTO A FRACTIONATION ZONE AND THEREIN STABILIZING SAME, WITHDRAWING STABILIZED GASOLINE FROM SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS, WITHDRAWING A VAPOROUS STREAM OF HYDROCARBONS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM C5 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, PASSING SAID VAPOROUS HYDROCARBON STREAMS, WITHDRAWN FROM SAID FLASH ZONE, WITHDRAWN FROM SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AND RECOVERED IN SAID DISTILLATION AND RECOVERY ZONE DIRECTLY INTO A CHARCOAL ADSORPTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A HYDROCARBON VAPOR STREAM FROM SAID CHARCOAL ADSORPTION ZONE AND PASSING SAME DIRECTLY TO A CONTINUOUS MOVING BED ACTIVATED-CHARCOAL SELECTIVE ADSORPTION SEPARATION ZONE OPERATING AT A PRESSURE OF FROM 0 TO 480 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH ABSOLUTE, AND THEREIN SEPARATING SAID VAPOROUS HYDROCARBON STREAMS INTO A C3 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBON STREAM AND A C2 AND LIGHTER HYDROCARBON STREAM, EACH AS AN ADDITIONAL PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.