Abb Lummus Global Inc.

Lummus Technology Inc.

Abb Lummus Global, Randall Gas Technologies

Abb Randall Corporation

Abb Lummus Global, Inc. - Randall Division

Jorge H Foglietta

Sanjiv N Patel

Robert R Huebel

Paul Barton Milios

Hazem Haddad

Fereidoun Yamin

Earle Ross Mowrey

David C Vogel

Donald Prible

Justin Pan

Ajit Sangave

Earle R Mowrey

An ethane recovery process utilizing multiple reflux streams is provided. Feed gas is cooled, partially condensed, and separated into a first liquid stream and a first vapor stream. First liquid stream is expanded and sent to a demethanizer. First vapor stream is split into a first and a second separator vapor streams. First separator vapor stream is expanded and sent to demethanizer. Second separator vapor stream is partially condensed and is separated into a reflux separator liquid stream, which is sent to demethanizer, and a reflux separator vapor stream, which is condensed and sent to demethanizer. Demethanizer produces a tower bottom stream containing a substantial amount of ethane and heavier components, and a tower overhead stream containing a substantial amount of remaining lighter components and forms a residue gas stream. A portion of residue gas stream is cooled, condensed, and sent to the demethanizer tower as top reflux stream.

Multiple reflux stream hydrocarbon recovery process

An ethane recovery process utilizing multiple reflux streams is provided. Feed gas is cooled, partially condensed, and separated into a first liquid stream and a first vapor stream. First liquid stream is expanded and sent to a demethanizer. First vapor stream is split into a first and a second separator vapor streams. First separator vapor stream is expanded and sent to demethanizer. Second separator vapor stream is partially condensed and is separated into a reflux separator liquid stream, which is sent to demethanizer, and a reflux separator vapor stream, which is condensed and sent to demethanizer. Demethanizer produces a tower bottom stream containing a substantial amount ethane and heavier components, and a tower overhead stream containing a substantial amount remaining lighter components and forms a residue gas stream. A portion of residue gas stream is cooled, condensed, and sent to the demethanizer tower as top reflux stream.

A process for the recovery of ethane and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon feed gas stream. Feed gas stream is cooled into a first and second cooled streams. First and second cooled streams are sent to a cold absorber and separated into a first gas stream and a first liquid stream. First gas stream is expanded and sent to a fractionation tower. At least a part of the first liquid stream is sent to a pre-demethanizer stripper tower. Stripper tower produces a stripper overhead stream and a stripper bottoms stream. Stripper overhead vapor stream is cooled and sent to the fractionation tower as second reflux stream. Stripper bottoms stream is supplied to the fractionation tower. Temperatures and pressures of the streams and columns are maintained to recover a major portion of ethane and heavier hydrocarbon components as a bottoms product stream, and produce a residue gas stream at the fractionation tower overhead. At least a portion of the residue gas stream is recycled, cooled and sent to the fractionation tower as first reflux stream.

Hydrocarbon gas processing for rich gas streams

A process and apparatus for the recovery of ethane and heavier components from a hydrocarbon feed gas stream. Feed gas stream is cooled and separated into a vapor stream and a condensed stream. Vapor stream is divided into a first and a second gas streams. First gas stream is expanded and sent to a fractionation tower. Second gas stream is supplied to an absorber tower. At least a part of the first liquid stream is cooled and sent to the absorber. Absorber column produces a lean vapor stream and a second condensed stream. Lean vapor stream is cooled and sent to the fractionation tower. Second condensed stream is subcooled and supplied to the fractionation tower. Temperatures and pressures of the streams and columns are maintained to recover a major portion of ethane and heavier hydrocarbon components as bottom product, and produce at the fractionation tower overhead, a residue gas stream.

Hydrocarbon recovery process utilizing enhanced reflux streams

A process and apparatus to increase the recovery of ethane, propane, and heavier compounds from a hydrocarbon gas stream is provided. The process can be configured to recover ethane and heavier compounds or propane and heavier compounds, depending upon the market conditions. The process utilizes an additional reflux stream to the absorber column that is lean in ethane and propane compared to the deethanizer overhead. The additional reflux stream is taken as a side stream of the residue gas stream that is cooled, condensed, and then fed at the top of the absorber to enhanced C3+ recovery. The additional lean reflux stream can also be taken as a side stream of the first vapor stream from the cold separator.

Residue recycle-high ethane recovery process

A two-tower scheme process for the recovery of propane and heavier components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is provided. Feed gas is cooled, partially condensed, and then separated to give a first liquid stream and a first vapor stream. First liquid stream is sent to a distillation tower that recovers at the bottoms a major portion of propane and heavier components and produces an overhead gas stream. First vapor stream is expanded and sent as bottom feed to the absorber. Absorber produces an absorber overhead stream containing essentially all the ethane and lighter components and an absorber bottoms stream. Absorber bottoms stream is heated and sent to the distillation tower as middle feed. Absorber overhead stream is warmed and optionally compressed. A part of the compressed stream is substantially condensed and sent to absorber as top feed. The process and apparatus can be used to recover ethane and heavier hydrocarbons.

Lean reflux-high hydrocarbon recovery process

A process and apparatus for controlling or reducing the heating value or BTU content of NGL recovered from LNG streams. LNG pipelines have a maximum allowable heating value that LNG must be within prior to entering the pipeline. If the LNG heating value is too high, the components contributing to the high heating value must be removed prior to being introduced in the pipeline. The process controls the heating value of the residue LNG gas stream by splitting a feed stream and warming at least a portion of the feed stream. Substantial differences in enthalpy content and temperature between the two portions of the feed stream exist prior to being sent to a fractionation tower.

Optimized heating value in natural gas liquids recovery scheme

A cryogenic process and apparatus to recover hydrogen from a fuel gas stream. The process can be stand alone or can be combined with existing processes, such as recovery of LPG from a fuel gas stream. In the stand-alone process, the fuel gas is cooled in one or more stages and sent to a cold separator that is used to separate the feed into a liquid and vapor stream. The liquid stream, is then warmed, compressed and then cooled and sent for further processing. The vapor stream, which contains hydrogen, is compressed, cooled when needed, and then returned for use in the existing facility or exported. The stand-alone process can be integrated within an LPG recovery process. The result of this cryogenic process is recovery of hydrogen from a fuel gas stream with only a slight decrease in hydrogen purity.

Cryogenic process for increased recovery of hydrogen

A process and apparatus for exploitation and liquefaction of natural gas in offshore stranded gas reserves. Two ordinary nautical vessels are used to produce, store and unload LPG and LNG. Typical front end processing is performed on the first vessel. The treated inlet gas is transported to the second vessel where the stream goes through liquefaction and storage until it is offloaded to a transport vessel for shipment. The liquefaction process utilizes two refrigerant cycles that utilize two expanded refrigerants, at least one of which is circulated in a gas phase refrigeration cycle. The refrigerants and the inlet gas stream are transported between the two vessels by the use of piping. Electricity can be generated to provide power for the compression sections of the refrigeration cycles. Turbines, engines, or boilers from the vessels can be used for generating electricity since they are no longer needed for locomotion purposes.

LNG floating production, storage, and offloading scheme

An ethane recovery process resulting in a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide in the recovered NGL stream is provided. To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, a fractionation tower is provided with a bottom reboiler, and possibly one or more side reboilers higher up in the tower that are integrated with the cooling train. The process disclosed modifies the flow of cold liquid from the separator and tower reboiling to reject some of the more volatile components such as carbon dioxide from the less volatile fraction while maintaining recovery of desirable components such as C2&plus; hydrocarbon components. The modification includes heating a part of the separator liquid and introducing it at least one stage below the remaining liquid.

Carbon dioxide reduction scheme for NGL processes

A cryogenic process and apparatus for separating multi-component gaseous hydrocarbon streams to recover both gaseous and liquid compounds. More particularly, the cryogenic processes and apparatus of this invention utilize a high pressure absorber to improve the energy efficiency of processing natural gas for pipeline gas sales and recovering natural gas liquids (NGL) gas from gaseous hydrocarbon streams.

Cryogenic process utilizing high pressure absorber column

A process for producing a liquified natural gas stream that includes cooling at least a portion of a pressurized natural gas feed stream by heat exchange contact with first and second expanded refrigerants that are used in independent refrigeration cycles. The first expanded refrigerant is selected from methane, ethane and treated and pressurized natural gas. The second expanded refrigerant is nitrogen.

LNG production using dual independent expander refrigeration cycles

A process for separating the components of a feed gas containing methane and heavier hydrocarbons is shown in which a recycle stream is used to satisfy the heat requirements of the process while at the same time providing a reflux to a demethanizer column to improve product recovery. The inlet gas stream is fed to a separator without first splitting the stream. A first vapor portion and a first liquid portion are produced by the separator with the first vapor portion being supplied, after expansion, to the demethanizer column at an intermediate feed position. The first liquid portion from the separator is expanded and supplied to the demethanizer column at a relatively lower feed position. Overhead vapor is removed from the column and compressed to a higher pressure. The resulting compressed recycle stream is cooled sufficiently to substantially condense it and is supplied as reflux to the demethanizer column at a top feed position.

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Missouri City, TX, United States of America

Jorge H Foglietta