Abstract: A wet hydrocarbon stream comprising at least methane and water is dried thereby forming an effluent stream and a wet disposal stream. Before drying the wet hydrocarbon stream is cooled by indirectly heat exchanging against the effluent stream followed by indirectly heat exchanging against an auxiliary refrigerant stream. The effluent stream is subsequently passed to a further heat exchanger where the effluent stream is cooled against an evaporating refrigerant stream which is subsequently discharged from the further heat exchanger as a spent refrigerant stream. A refrigerant stream in compressed condition is formed by compressing the spent refrigerant and the auxiliary refrigerant stream that is discharged from the indirectly heat exchanging with the wet hydrocarbon stream, whereby allowing direct heat exchanging between the discharged auxiliary refrigerant stream and the spent refrigerant stream before said compressing.