Processing raw natural gas to recover gaseous and gasoline hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF FRACTIONATING NATURAL GAS WHICH CONTAINS A MIXTURE OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR WEIGHT HYDROCARBONS WHEREIN THE RAW MATERIAL GAS TO BE FRACTIONATED IS SCRUBBED WITH A LEAN ABSORBER OIL WHICH WILL ABSORB FROM THE RAW GAS STREAM THE MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS TO OBTAIN A RICH ABSORBER OIL, THE RICH ABSORBER OIL IS HEATED UNDR PRESSURE OF AT LEAST 70 P. S. I. G. AND THE ABSORBED COMPONENTS STRIPPED THEREFROM, AND THEN RECYCLED IN THE PROCESS AS SAID LEAN ABSORBER OIL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS IN THUS RECYCLING IN THE SYSTEM AN AMOUNT OF STRIPPER COLUMN BOTTOMS ABSORBER OIL SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL IN VOLUME TO THE VOLUME OF SAID LEAN ABSORBER OIL PLUS AN EXCESS WHICH ON A VOLUME BASIS IS ABOUT ONE TO EIGHT TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THE ABSORBED CONSTITUENTS CONTAINED IN SAID RICH ABSORBER OIL AND BLENING THE STREAM OF SAID EXCESS WITH ALL OF THE STREAM OF OIL WHICH HAS BEEN ENRICHED BY THE SCRUBBING OPERATION BEFORE SUCH ENRICHED OIL IS HEATED TO STRIP THEREFROM ITS ABSORBED COMPONENTS.