Separation of heavier hydrocarbons from natural gas

Abstract

Abstract A method for separating heavier hydrocarbon components of a normally gaseous mixture, e.g., natural gas, from a relatively more volatile component, e.g., methane is accomplished by cooling the gas under pressure to effect condensation, adding to the cooled feed a small amount of heavier hydrocarbons, flash separating the mixture, e.g., in a first flash drum, adding to the separated gas phase a small amount of heavier hydrocarbons, and again flash separating the mixture, e.g., in an auxiliary flash drum. Desirably, the heavier hydrocarbons added to the feed gas before the first separation may be the liquid recovered from the auxiliary flash separation. The liquid recovered from the first and auxiliary flash separations is desirably chilled and subjected to a second flash separation at lower pressure to volatilize most of the lighter component, e.g., methane, recovered in the liquid with the heavier components. The liquid resulting from the second flash separation may then be fractionated into such components as ethane, propane, butane and gasoline. The methane-containing gasiform phases from the auxiliary and second flash separations are desirably combined with the fractionated ethane and supplied as the treated natural gas product.

Inventors

• 👤 Albert Strum

Bibliographic Details