Uop Lcc

Elcor Corporation

Geotek Energy, LLC

Other

Atlantic Richfield Company

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd.

Elkcorp

Michael C Pierce

Hank M Hudson

John D Wilkinson

Kyle T Cuellar

J Ascencion Anguiano

Stephen N Peterson

Scott A Miller

Joe T Lynch

Andrew F Johnke

Adam Adrian Brostow

W Larry Lewis

Roy E Campbell

Thai Pham

L Don Tyler

Gary Allen Ring

C L Rambo

Roy E Campbell, Deceased

Daryl R Jensen

Allen Swenson

Ricky L Foster

Angel Sanchez

W F Priebe

Blake Sellers

Ken W Fryrear

Stephen M Frogge

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for separation of a hydrocarbon gas stream containing methane and heavier hydrocarbons and significant quantities of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The gas stream is cooled and expanded, then fractionated in a first distillation column into a first overhead vapor and a hydrocarbon liquid stream containing the majority of the carbon dioxide. The hydrocarbon liquid stream is fractionated into a hydrocarbon vapor stream and a less volatile fraction comprised of heavier hydrocarbons. The first overhead vapor is cooled, expanded, and separated into vapor and liquid streams. Both streams are cooled and expanded before feeding a second distillation column that produces a second overhead vapor that is predominantly nitrogen and a bottom liquid that is predominantly methane. The bottom liquid is vaporized and combined with the hydrocarbon vapor stream to form a volatile residue gas fraction containing the majority of the methane.

Hydrocarbon gas processing

A process is provided for treating a hydrocarbon gas stream by condensing a portion of the gas stream to produce a liquid stream, then through several steps subcooling a portion of the liquid stream to be introduced into a midpoint into a fractionation column. Unexpectedly, it has been found that the recompression and refrigeration power requirements are substantially reduced and the minimum approach to carbon dioxide freezing are increased when the liquid stream is introduced to a midpoint in the column when compared to introducing the liquid stream to a top position or a lower position in the fractionation column.

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for the recovery of components from a hydrocarbon gas stream containing significant quantities of components more volatile than methane (hydrogen, nitrogen, etc.). The gas stream is partially condensed, then the remaining vapor is expanded to lower pressure and supplied to a fractionation tower at a mid-column feed position. The condensed liquid is cooled and divided into two portions. The first portion is expanded to tower pressure, heated by cooling the liquid, and supplied to the tower at a lower column feed position. The second portion is further cooled, expanded to tower pressure, and supplied to the tower at a top feed position. The tower overhead vapor is heated by cooling the second portion. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the tower maintain the overhead temperature of the tower whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to improve the recovery of C(or C) and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes producing at least a substantially condensed first stream and a cooled second stream, expanding both streams to lower pressure, and supplying the streams to a fractionation tower. In the process and apparatus disclosed, the tower overhead vapor is directed to an absorbing means and a heat and mass transfer means inside a processing assembly. A portion of the outlet vapor from the processing assembly is compressed to higher pressure, cooled and substantially condensed in a heat exchange means inside the processing assembly, then expanded to lower pressure and supplied to the heat and mass transfer means to provide cooling. Condensed liquid from the absorbing means is fed to the tower.

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for a compact processing assembly to improve the recovery of C(or C) and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes producing at least a substantially condensed first stream and a cooled second stream, expanding both streams to lower pressure, and supplying the streams to a fractionation tower. In the process and apparatus disclosed, the tower overhead vapor is directed to an absorbing means and a heat and mass transfer means inside a processing assembly. The outlet vapor from the processing assembly is compressed to higher pressure and cooled, then a portion is substantially condensed in a heat exchange means inside the processing assembly, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied to the heat and mass transfer means to provide cooling. Condensed liquid from the absorbing means is fed to the tower.

A compressor free, generator free system production well for accelerated oil and gas removal from a reservoir using a magnetically coupled expander pump assembly, which include an outer expansion turbine that rotates around a pump. A magnetic coupling couples the expansion turbine to the pump. An inner portion of the magnetic coupling can be coupled to a pump shaft that drives the pump. An outer portion of the magnetic coupling can be driven by the expansion turbine, which rotates circumferentially around the pump. The expansion turbine drives the fluid to pump a driven fluid stream through the magnetic coupling. In this manner, flow directions of both driving and driven fluid streams remain separate and coaxial, thereby facilitating a reduction in an overall diameter of the expander pump assembly.

Magnetically coupled expander pump with axial flow path

A process and an apparatus are disclosed for recovering ethane, ethylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream. The stream is cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied to a first fractionation tower at a mid-column feed position. A distillation liquid stream is withdrawn from the first fractionation tower below the feed position of the expanded stream, heated, and directed into a second fractionation tower that produces an overhead vapor stream and a bottom liquid stream. The overhead vapor stream is cooled to condense it, with a portion of the condensed stream directed to the second fractionation tower as its top feed and the remainder directed to the first fractionation tower at a lower column feed position. The bottom liquid stream from the second fractionation tower is cooled and directed to the first fractionation tower as its top feed.

A subsurface well completion system including a subsurface heat exchanger section that includes an outer shell and an inner shell having an upper threaded portion, an open inside diameter, one or more inlet boxes and one or more outlet boxes. An upper annular ring extends between the inner shell and the outer shell and has one or more openings. A lower annular ring extends between the inner shell and the outer shell. The lower annular ring is spaced apart from the upper annular ring and has one or more openings. One or more tubes are sealably connected at a first end and a second end to the one or more openings in the upper annular ring and the one or more openings in the lower annular ring, respectively, and extend between the upper and lower annular rings in an annular space between the inner shell and the outer shell.

Subsurface well completion system having a heat exchanger

A safety line anchor securable to a roof drain is disclosed. The anchor provides a secure tie down location for people working on the roof of a building. The anchor is portable so that users can carry it with them to the roof and secure it in a roof drain with minimal modification of the drain. When the worker is finished on the roof, the device can be removed and carried away. The safety line anchor comprises a body, a drain coupling assembly, and an expansion assembly. The drain coupling assembly securely fastens the anchor to the roof drain. The expansion assembly expands in the neck of the drain or the roof drain system piping to minimize wobbling of the anchor. A safety line may be attached to the body of the anchor.

Safety line anchor securable to roof drain

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. In recent years, the preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes supplying at least portions of the gas stream to a fractionation tower having at least one reboiler, and often one or more side reboilers, to supply heat to the column by withdrawing and heating some of the tower liquids to produce stripping vapors that separate the more volatile components from the desired components. The reboiler and side reboilers (if any) are typically integrated into the feed stream cooling scheme to provide at least a portion of the refrigeration needed to condense the desired components for subsequent fractionation in the distillation column. In the process disclosed, the tower reboiling scheme is modified to use one or more tower liquid distillation streams from a point higher in the column than is used in the conventional reboiling scheme, providing colder stream(s) for the reboiler(s) that allow more effective cooling of the feed streams and thereby improve the efficiency with which the desired components are recovered. In addition, the tower liquid streams withdrawn from a higher point in the column contain larger quantities of the more volatile components, which when vaporized provide better stripping of undesirable components like carbon dioxide without reducing the recovery of the desired components. The heated distillation stream is returned to a lower point on the fractionation tower that is separated from the withdrawal point by at least one theoretical stage.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. In recent years, the preferred method of separating a hydrocarbon gas stream generally includes supplying at least a portion of the gas stream to a work expansion device, then directing the work expanded stream to a distillation column at a mid-column feed point below an upper rectification section. The top column feed above the upper rectification section is typically a condensed and subcooled gaseous stream, frequently comprised of a gas stream that would otherwise feed the work expansion device. In the process disclosed, the work expanded stream is further cooled prior to feeding the distillation column at the mid-column feed point, so that a lesser volume of top column feed is required to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is divided into first and second streams, and the second stream is cooled and expanded to a lower pressure and supplied to a contacting device. The first stream is cooled to condense substantially all of it, expanded to the lower pressure, and then used to cool a warmer distillation stream from a distillation column to at least partially condense the distillation stream. At least a portion of the partially condensed distillation stream is directed to the contacting device to intimately contact the expanded second stream, the resulting vapors and liquids are separated from the contacting device, and these liquids are supplied to the distillation column. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the contacting device and the distillation column are effective to maintain the overhead temperatures of the contacting device and the distillation column at temperatures whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled to partially condense it, then separated to provide a first vapor stream and a first condensed stream. The first vapor stream is divided into first and second streams, then the first stream is combined with the first condensed stream. The combined stream is cooled and expanded to an intermediate pressure to partially condense it, then separated to provide a second vapor stream and a second condensed stream. The second vapor stream is cooled at the intermediate pressure to condense substantially all of it and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a top feed position. The second condensed stream is subcooled at the intermediate pressure, expanded to the tower pressure, and is supplied to the column at a first mid-column feed position. The second stream is expanded to the tower pressure and is then supplied to the column at a second mid-column feed position. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the column are effective to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered. In an alternative embodiment, the combined stream is cooled at essentially inlet pressure to partially condense it, then separated at pressure to provide the second vapor stream and the second condensed stream.

Growing community of inventors

Odessa, TX, United States of America

Michael C Pierce