Method of and apparatus for recovering desirable hydrocarbon liquids from high pressure wells

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PROCESSING A HYDROCARBON GAS AND OIL MIXTURE UNDER FLOW FROM A PRODUCING WELL TO OBTAIN A HYDROCARBON PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS AND LEAVING SEPARATE GAS AND OIL PRODUCTS CONFORMING TO SPECIFICATIONS OF A PIPELINE GAS AND A PIPELINE OIL, SAID METHOD INCLUDING, CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE OF SAID OIL AND GAS MIXTURE TO EFFECT SEPARATION OF THE OIL AND ANY READILY CONDENSIBLE FRACTIONS FROM THE GAS OF THE MIXTURE, DISCHARGING THE SEPARATED OIL AND SAID CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO A LOWER PRESSURE FOR TOPPING THE OIL AND VAPORIZING THE CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO LEAVE A PIPELINE OIL, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE PIPELINE OIL, EXPANDING THE PREVIOUSLY SEPARATED GAS INTO A CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED INCIDENTAL TO EXPANSION OF THE GAS, UNITING TOPPINGS FROM SAID OIL AND THE PREVIOUSLY CONDENSED FRACTIONS WITH SAID EXPANDED GAS TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF DESIRABLE FRACTIONS OF SAID UNITED COMPONENTS IN THE CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SEPARATELY REMOVING PIPELINE GAS FROM SAID CONDENSING ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, REMOVING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE FROM SAID ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, AND FRACTIONATING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE TO SEPARATE LIGHTER FRACTIONS FROM GASOLINE FRACTIONS THEREOF FOR OBTAINING A STABLE PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PROCESSING A HYDROCARBON GAS AND OIL MIXTURE UNDER FLOW FROM A PRODUCING WELL TO OBTAIN A HYDROCARBON PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS AND LEAVING SEPARATE GAS AND OIL PRODUCTS CONFORMING TO SPECIFICATIONS OF A PIPELINE GAS AND A PIPELINE OIL, SAID METHOD INCLUDING, CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE OF SAID OIL AND GAS MIXTURE TO EFFECT SEPARATION OF THE OIL AND ANY READILY CONDENSIBLE FRACTIONS FROM THE GAS OF THE MIXTURE, DISCHARGING THE SEPARATED OIL AND SAID CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO A LOWER PRESSURE FOR TOPPING THE OIL AND VAPORIZING THE CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO LEAVE A PIPELINE OIL, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE PIPELINE OIL, EXPANDING THE PREVIOUSLY SEPARATED GAS INTO A CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED INCIDENTAL TO EXPANSION OF THE GAS, UNITING TOPPINGS FROM SAID OIL AND THE PREVIOUSLY CONDENSED FRACTIONS WITH SAID EXPANDED GAS TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF DESIRABLE FRACTIONS OF SAID UNITED COMPONENTS IN THE CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SEPARATELY REMOVING PIPELINE GAS FROM SAID CONDENSING ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, REMOVING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE FROM SAID ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, AND FRACTIONATING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE TO SEPARATE LIGHTER FRACTIONS FROM GASOLINE FRACTIONS THEREOF FOR OBTAINING A STABLE PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF PROCESSING A HYDROCARBON GAS AND OIL MIXTURE WHILE UNDER FLOW TO OBTAIN A HYDROCARBON PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDING, INJECTING A GAS HYDRATE INHIBITOR INTO THE MIXTURE TO PREVENT FORMATION OF OBJECTIONABLE GAS HYDRATES UPON SUBSEQUENT LOWERING OF THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE OF SAID MIXTURE TO EFFECT SEPARATION OF THE OIL AND ANY CONDENSIBLE FRACTIONS FROM THE GAS OF THE MIXTURE, DISCHARGING THE OIL AND SAID CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO A LOWER PRESSURE FOR TOPPING THE OIL, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE OIL AND THE GAS HYDRATE INHIBITOR, EXPANDING THE PREVIOUSLY SEPARATED GAS INTO A CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED INCIDENTAL TO EXPANSION OF THE GAS, UNITING TOPPINGS FROM SAID OIL AND THE PREVIOUSLY CONDENSED FRACTIONS WITH SAID EXPANDED GAS TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF DESIRABLE FRACTIONS OF SAID UNITED COMPONENTS IN THE CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SEPARATELY REMOVING GAS FROM SAID CONDENSING ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, REMOVING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE FROM SAID ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, AND FRACTIONATING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE TO SEPARATE LIGHTER FRACTIONS FROM GASOLINE FRACTIONS THEREOF FOR OBTAINING A STABLE PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF PROCESSING A HYDROCARBON GAS AND OIL MIXTURE WHILE UNDER FLOW TO OBTAIN A HYDROCARBON PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS INCLUDING, INJECTING A GAS HYDRATE INHIBITOR INTO THE MIXTURE TO PREVENT FORMATION OF OBJECTIONABLE GAS HYDRATES UPON SUBSEQUENT LOWERING OF THE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, CONTROLLING TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE OF SAID MIXTURE TO EFFECT SEPARATION OF THE OIL AND ANY CONDENSIBLE FRACTIONS FROM THE GAS OF THE MIXTURE, DISCHARGING THE OIL AND SAID CONDENSED FRACTIONS TO A LOWER PRESSURE FOR TOPPING THE OIL, SEPARATELY REMOVING THE OIL AND THE GAS HYDRATE INHIBITOR, EXPANDING THE PREVIOUSLY SEPARATED GAS INTO A CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE MAINTAINED INCIDENTAL TO EXPANSION OF THE GAS, UNITING TOPPINGS FROM SAID OIL AND THE PREVIOUSLY CONDENSED FRACTIONS WITH SAID EXPANDED GAS TO EFFECT CONDENSATION OF DESIRABLE FRACTIONS OF SAID UNITED COMPONENTS IN THE CONDENSING ZONE OF LOWER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, SEPARATELY REMOVING GAS FROM SAID CONDENSING ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, REMOVING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE FROM SAID ZONE OF LOW TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, AND FRACTIONATING THE LAST OBTAINED CONDENSATE TO SEPARATE LIGHTER FRACTIONS FROM GASOLINE FRACTIONS THEREOF FOR OBTAINING A STABLE PRODUCT HAVING GASOLINE SPECIFICATIONS.