Abstract: A process is disclosed for the separation of hydrocarbon feed gas mixtures containing carbon dioxide. The process utilizes four distillation units and one absorption unit. The feed gas is fed to the first distillation system where the methane-and-lighter components are separated from the propane-and-heavier hydrocarbons. The top gas product from the first distillation unit is mixed with a portion of the absorbing medium methanol and refrigerated. This mixture is fed to the bottom of the absorber. The gas containing methane, ethane and carbon dioxide flows up the absorber countercurrent to the downcoming liquid methanol. The ethane and carbon dioxide are dissolved by the methanol and exit the bottom of the absorber as a liquid. The methane-and-lighter components are not dissolved by the methanol and leave the absorber as a gas. The bottoms from the first distillation system are fed to a second distillation column where the ethane and carbon dioxide are distilled as a top gas product.

Abstract: A process for separating a nitrogen rich hydrocarbon stream is disclosed. The process includes cooling the stream in a series of indirect heat exchanges to separate successively lighter components from heavier components of the stream. After the first cooling stage, the stream is separated into a heavy component stream and a light component stream. The heavy component is distilled to form a heavy product stream and a first methane rich gas stream. The lighter component stream is successively cooled and split into a second methane rich gas stream and a nitrogen rich, low heating value stream.

Abstract: A process for economically recovering ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbon components from methane and lighter constituents of natural gas streams is disclosed. The separation process of the natural gas stream is accomplished in two stages. The input gas stream (90) is first cooled by exchanger (58) using various streams of refrigerant. After cooling the stream (102) is partially condensed in a separator (104), with part of the methane and almost all of the ethane and heavier hydrocarbons within the stream being condensed. The condensed mixtures (112) are fed to a fractionation tower (116), where the methane and lighter gases are distilled from the other hydrocarbons. The cooling and condensation of the hydrocarbons in the feed stream and the heat source for the tower (116) are accomplished in indirect contact heat exchangers (26, 58, 68, 70, 210) with a multi-component hydrocarbon refrigerant in two streams (154, 220) and a slip stream (211) of the feed stream.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for economically recovering ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbon components from methane and lighter constituents of natural gas streams is disclosed. The separation process of the natural gas stream is accomplished in two stages. The input gas stream (90) is first cooled by exchanger (58) using various streams of refrigerant. After cooling the stream (102) is partially condensed in a separator (104), with part of the methane and almost all of the ethane and heavier hydrocarbons within the stream being condensed. The condensed mixtures (112) are fed to a fractionation tower (116), where the methane and lighter gases are distilled from the other hydrocarbons. The cooling and condensation of the hydrocarbons in the feed stream and the heat source for the tower (116) are accomplished in indirect contact heat exchangers (26, 58, 68, 70) with a refrigerant. The cooling of the feed stream is also accomplished by flashing of the process gases.

Abstract: A process for economically recovering propane and heavier hydrocarbon components from ethane, methane and lighter constituents of natural gas streams is disclosed. The separation process of the natural gas stream is accomplished in two stages. The input gas stream (101) is first cooled by exchanger (301) using various streams of refrigerant. After cooling the stream (102) is partially condensed in a series of separators (109, 111, 112), with part of the ethane, methane and almost all of the propane and heavier hydrocarbons within the stream being condensed. The condensed mixtures (124) are fed to a fractionation tower (113), where the ethane, methane and lighter gases are distilled from the other hydrocarbons. The cooling and condensation of the hydrocarbons in the feed stream and the heat source for the tower (113) are accomplished in indirect contact heat exchangers (301, 302, 303, 304) with a refrigerant and hot oil.

Abstract: A process for economically recovering ethane, propane and heavier hydrocarbon components from methane and lighter constituents of natural gas streams is disclosed. The separation process of the natural gas stream is accomplished in two stages. The input gas stream (90) is first cooled by exchanger (58) using various streams of refrigerant. After cooling the stream (102) is partially condensed in a separator (104), with part of the methane and almost all of the ethane and heavier hydrocarbons within the stream being condensed. The condensed mixtures (112) are fed to a fractionation tower (116), where the methane and lighter gases are distilled from the other hydrocarbons. The cooling and condensation of the hydrocarbons in the feed stream and the heat source for the tower (116) are accomplished in indirect contact heat exchangers (26, 58, 68, 70) with a multi-component hydrocarbon refrigerant. The cooling of the feed stream is also accomplished by flashing of the process gases.