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:
Aug. 05, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 08, 2013
Ortloff Engineers, Ltd., Midland, TX (US);
Tony L. Martinez, Odessa, TX (US);
John D. Wilkinson, Midland, TX (US);
Hank M. Hudson, Midland, TX (US);
Kyle T. Cuellar, Katy, TX (US);
Ortloff Engineers, Ltd., Midland, TX (US);
Abstract
A process for recovering heavier hydrocarbons from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream and a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The LNG stream is heated to vaporize at least part of it, expanded, and supplied to a fractionation column at a first mid-column feed position. The gas stream is expanded, cooled, and supplied to the column at a second mid-column feed position. A distillation vapor stream is withdrawn from the column below the mid-column feed positions and cooled by the LNG stream sufficiently to condense at least a part of it, with at least a portion of the condensed stream directed to the column at an upper mid-column feed position. A portion of the column overhead stream is cooled by the LNG feed stream to condense it and form both a 'lean' LNG stream and a reflux stream that is supplied to the column at a top column feed position.