Hydrocarbon separation with a physical solvent

Details Hydrocarbon separation with a physical solvent Hydrocarbon separation with a physical solvent

1984-08-03

1986-03-25

Sever, Frank

Refrigeration

Processes

Circulating external gas

55 68, 55 73, F25J 302

Patent

active

045780943

ABSTRACT:
A stream of natural gas, which is rich in C.sub.5 + hydrocarbons and may be wet or dry or sweet or sour, is extracted in two stages with a physical solvent. In the first stage, a major portion of the solvent, containing up to an equilibrium amount of C.sub.5 + hydrocarbons, removes substantially all of the water and the C.sub.2 + hydrocarbons. In the second stage, the partially stripped natural gas is countercurrently extracted with a lean-and-dry minor portion of the solvent which contains less than 1% by weight of water and less than 1% by volume of hydrocarbons. The residue natural gas, which is then sent to a pipeline, contains less than 7 pounds of water per million standard cubic feet. The rich solvent is flashed to atmospheric pressure in at least two stages, forming a methane-rich vapor portion which is suitably recycled to the first extraction, a methane-poor vapor portion, and a flashed solvent containing up to equilibrium amounts of C.sub.5 + hydrocarbons. The methane-poor vapor portion is compressed, cooled, and condensed to form a liquid stream which is selectively stripped of C.sub.1, C.sub.1 +C.sub. 2, C.sub.1 +C.sub.2 +C.sub.3 or C.sub.1 +C.sub.2 +C.sub.3 +C.sub.4 to form a liquid hydrocarbon product of selected composition based on market economics. A slipstream of the flashed solvent, containing the amount of water picked up from the natural gas stream and amounting to less than 25% by weight of the flashed solvent, is all that needs to be regenerated to form the lean-and-dry minor portion.

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Sweny, John W., "High CO.sub.2 -High H.sub.2 S Removal with Selexol Solvent," Mar. 17-19, 1980, 59th Annual GPA Convention, Houston, Texas.

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