The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 1984
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1982
Michael L Gray, Bartlesville, OK (US);
William A McClintock, Bartlesville, OK (US);
Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, OK (US);
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention a natural gas stream predominating in methane and containing significant amounts of C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons is cooled in a plurality of cooling stages to a temperature sufficient to produce at least one liquid phase portion predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, the at least one liquid phase portion predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons is separated from the main gas stream during the course of the cooling, the thus separated liquid phase portion or portions predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3, C.sub.4 and C.sub.5 and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons is further separated into a vapor phase portion predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3, and C.sub.4 hydrocarbons and at least one liquid phase portion predominating in C.sub.5 and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, at least one second separation step, at least one portion of the at least one vapor phase portion predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3 and C.sub.4, hydrocarbons is recovered as at least one product of the process and at least one portion of the remaining portion of the at least one phase portion predominating in C.sub.2, C.sub.3 and C.sub.4 hydrocarbons is recycled to and recombined with the main gas stream as a liquid phase.