Conocophillips Company

Ipsi, L.l.c.

Other

Phillips Petroleum Company

D. M. International Ltd.

Jame Yao

Douglas G Elliot

Rong-Jwyn Lee

Jong Juh Chen

William R Low

Anthony P Eaton

Clarence G Houser

Paul R Hahn

Shawn S Huang

Pallav Jain

Wesley R Qualls

Weldon L Ransbarger

Megan Victoria Evans

Ned P Baudat

Thomas M Jones

Sriram Ramani

Ying Zhang

Jon Marvin Mock

Qi Ma

Bobby D Martinez

Attilio Jose Praderio

Donald L Andress

Karl Lee Herzog

Will T James

Marc Thomas Bellomy

Wei Yan

Satish L Gandhi

Mohan Chahal

Philip C Goundry

Rong-Jywn Lee

Philip D Ritchie

Phillip D Ritchie

Harry J Crofton

Mark S Elkins

Naushad A Kassamali

Mike Wilkes

Matt Calvin Gentry

Doug Elliot

Nasir Ali

Douglas Gene Elliot

Barnard J Devers

William Raymond Low

Clarence Glenn Houser

Donald Lee Andress

Process for efficiently operating a natural gas liquefaction system with integrated heavies removal/natural gas liquids recovery to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) and/or natural gas liquids (NGL) products.

Process for controlling liquefied natural gas heating value

Process for efficiently operating a natural gas liquefaction system with integrated heavies removal/natural gas liquids recovery to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) and/or natural gas liquids (NGL) products with varying characteristics, such as, for example higher heating value (HHV) and/or propane content. Resulting LNG and/or NGL products are capable of meeting the significantly different specifications of two or more markets.

LNG facility with integrated NGL recovery for enhanced liquid recovery and product flexibility

Methods and systems for removing nitrogen during liquefaction of natural are provided. Methods of removing nitrogen include warming a predominantly methane stream in a methane cold box to provide a warmed predominantly methane stream; conducting at least a portion of the warmed predominantly methane stream from the methane cold box to a nitrogen removal unit comprising at least a first nitrogen removal column and a last nitrogen removal column, wherein the first nitrogen removal column is located upstream of the last nitrogen removal column; passing the warmed predominantly methane stream through the last nitrogen removal column to provide a refluxed warmed predominantly methane stream; and routing at least a portion of the refluxed warmed predominantly methane stream to the last nitrogen removal column.

Nitrogen rejection unit

Methods and systems are provided for treating hydrogen sulfide rich sour gas through a series of fractionation columns. The processes disclosed herein and the variations thereof provide optimized processes for the removal of hydrogen sulfide from sour gas through the introduction of innovative azeotrope breakers, novel configurations of process equipment, and optimized operating conditions. Advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention include reduced equipment requirements, improved process efficiencies, reduced operating costs, and reduced capital costs. Other advantages include better process suitability to certain environmental conditions such as the arctic cold when compared to conventional amine treatment processes.

Fractionation of hydrogen sulfide rich sour gas and methods of use

A process and apparatus for the liquefaction of natural gas including an improved heavy hydrocarbon removal column with overhead condensing and refluxing. Particularly, a methane-rich stream exiting a propane refrigerant cycle is delivered to a heavies removal column, and the heavies depleted vapor from the column is at least partially condensed and the liquid portion provided as reflux to the heavies removal column.

LNG system employing refluxed heavies removal column with overhead condensing

Natural gas liquefaction system employing an open methane cycle wherein the liquefied natural gas is flashed immediately upstream of the liquefied natural gas storage tank and boil off vapors from the tank are returned to the open methane cycle.

Enhanced methane flash system for natural gas liquefaction

A single LNG facility, and operating method therefor, capable of efficiently producing LNG products that meet the varying specifications of different LNG markets.

LNG facility providing enhanced liquid recovery and product flexibility

The present invention is directed to methods for improving the efficiency of processes for the recovery of natural gas liquids from a gas feed, e.g., raw natural gas or a refinery or petrochemical plant gas stream. These methods may be employed with most, if not all, conventional separation methods using distillation towers, e.g., a demethanizer and/or deethanizer column. The methods of the present invention involve installing an internal refrigeration system consisting of an open cycle refrigerant withdrawn from a distillation column and a closed cycle refrigerant derived from the open cycle refrigeration system. A separator is installed downstream of the recycle compressor discharge cooler in the open cycle refrigeration scheme. At least a portion of liquid withdrawn from this separator is used as a closed cycle refrigerant by indirect heat exchange with the inlet gas or other process streams. Thus a closed refrigeration cycle enhances the performance of the open refrigeration cycle.

Internal refrigeration for enhanced NGL recovery

Natural gas liquefaction system employing an enhanced nitrogen removal system capable of removing nitrogen from a relatively warm natural gas stream.

LNG system with warm nitrogen rejection

A method and apparatus for enhancing the power output and operational efficiency of a combustion turbine system using a combined refrigerant substantially comprising a first refrigerant and a second refrigerant, whereby the combined refrigerant exhibits a total pressure substantially greater than each respective first and second refrigerant at a temperature inside an evaporative chiller. In a preferred embodiment, the combined refrigerant cools turbine inlet air through the exchange of heat from the inlet air, in an air chiller, with a coolant which is cooled by the combined refrigerant in the evaporative chiller. The combined refrigerant, after it is used to cool the coolant in the evaporative chiller, is separated through the use of a liquid absorbent which absorbs the second refrigerant to form a solution pair. The non-absorbed first refrigerant is compressed, condensed and then recirculated to eventually join the second refrigerant which is desorbed from the solution pair in a regenerator. The economic advantage of the present invention is enhanced by thermally linking the heat required to regenerate the second absorptive refrigerant from the solution pair with the hot exhaust of heat available from the gas turbine.

Hybrid refrigeration cycle for combustion turbine inlet air cooling

A process for enhancing the recovery of less volatile components, from a multi component gas mixture, in a cryogenic distillation column, which involves withdrawing a stream from the cryogenic distillation column and processing it to yield a stream leaner in the component to be recovered, which will be cooled and fed to the cryogenic distillation column as a reflux. The processing step may include heating or cooling the side draw and then further contacting the side draw with another stream which is substantially condensed.

Flexible reflux process for high NGL recovery

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for improving the recovery of the relatively less volatile components from a methane-rich gas feed under pressure to produce an NGL product while, at the same time, separately recovering the relatively more volatile components which are liquified to produce an LNG product. The methods of the present invention improve separation and efficiency within the NGL recovery column while maintaining column pressure to achieve efficient and economical utilization of the available mechanical refrigeration. The methods of the present invention are particularly useful for removing cyclohexane, benzene and other hazardous, heavy hydrocarbons from a gas feed. The benefits of the present invention are achieved by the introduction to the NGL recovery column of an enhanced liquid reflux lean on the NGL components. Further advantages can be achieved by thermally linking a side reboiler for the NGL recovery column with the overhead condenser for the NGL purifying column. Using the methods of the present invention, recoveries of propane and heavier components in excess of 95% are readily achievable.

Enhanced NGL recovery utilizing refrigeration and reflux from LNG plants

A process for enhancing recovery of ethylene, ethane and heavier components using a cryogenic distillation column which involves dividing the feed gas into a first gaseous stream and a main gaseous stream. The first gaseous stream is compressed and cooled, and then expanded and introduced into the cryogenic distillation column as main reflux stream, or is further processed to generate at least one reflux stream to the cryogenic distillation column.

Split feed compression process for high recovery of ethane and heavier components

A simple, efficient, and cost effective process for separating components of a feed gas, e.g., containing methane and heavier hydrocarbons has been devised. First, feed gas is condensed to provide a vapor component and a liquid component. The vapor component is divided into at least a first, major portion a second portion, and a remaining portion. The second portion is directed to a lean reflux absorber, and the remaining portion is condensed and fed to the top of the lean reflux absorber. A bottom fluid stream, generally a liquid intermediate product, is recovered from the bottom of the lean reflux absorber, and lean vapor is recovered from the top of the lean reflux absorber. The liquid component, the first, major portion of the first vapor component, the liquid product from the bottom of the lean reflux absorber, and the lean vapor from the top of the lean reflux absorber are all fed to different feed points on a cryogenic distillation column. An optional cold side reboiler may be used to bring the cooling and heating curves into a more parallel relationship to improve process efficiency.

Lean reflux process for high recovery of ethane and heavier components

Growing community of inventors

Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Jame Yao