Fractionating lng utilized as refrigerant under varying loads

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE REGASIFICATION AND FRACTIONATION OF LIQUIDFIED NATURAL GAS, COMPRISING: A. HEATING LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS AND RECOVERING THE COLD POTENTIAL THEREFROM; B. INTRODUCING HEATED NATURAL GAS FROM SSTEP (A) INTO A DEMETHANIZER TO RECOVER A METHANE OVERHEAD AND A BOTTOMS OF HEAVIER COMPONENTS, SAID METHANE OVERHEAD RECOVERU VARYING ABOVE AND BELOW A SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUNT; C. INTRODUCING A FIRST PORTION OF THE BOTTOMS FROM THE DEMETHANIZER INTO A DEETHANIZER, SAID DEETHANIZER BEING OPERATED AT A FEED RATE CORRESPONDING TO THE AMOUNT OF BOTTOMS AVAILABLE FROM THE DEMETHANIZER AT THE SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUNT OF METHANE OVERHEAD RECOVERY, SAID FIRST PORTION BEING ONE ENTIRE BOTTOMS DURING PERIODS WHEN THE METHANE OVERHEAD RRECOVERY IS NO GREATER THAN THE SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUNT AND WHEN THE METHAN OVERHEAD RECOVERY IS IN EXCESS OF THE SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUNT, SAID FIRST PORTION BEING LESS THAN THE ENTIRE BOTTOMS AND CORRE SPONDING TO THE BOTTOMS AVAILABLE WHEN THE METHANE OVERHEAD RECOVERY IS AT THE SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUNT; D. COOLING THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE BOTTOMS AVAILABLE DURING A PERIOD WHEN THE METHANE OVERHEAD RECOVERY IS GREATER THAN THE SPECIFIC AVERAGE AMOUBT BY INDIRECT HEAT TRANSFER WITH LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS; E. PASSING THE COOLED REMAINING PORTION OF BOTTOMS TO A STORAGE ZONE;