TREATING LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS

摘要

METHOD OF TREATING LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS (1) TO OBTAIN A LIQUID STREAM (21) HAVING A REDUCED CONTENT OF COMPONENTS HAVING LOW BOILING POINTS COMPRISING EXPANDING (3) THE LIQUEFIED GAS TO EXPAND TO OBTAIN EXPANDED TWO-PHASE FLUID; INTRODUCING THE TWO-PHASE FLUID INTO A COLUMN (10) BELOW A SINGLE GAS-LIQUID CONTACTING SECTION (14); WITHDRAWING FROM THE BOTTOM (16) A LIQUID STREAM (17) HAVING A REDUCED CONTENT OF COMPONENTS HAVING LOW BOILING POINTS; WITHDRAWING FROM THE TOP (23) OF THE COLUMN (10) A GASEOUS STREAM (25) ENRICHED IN COMPONENTS HAVING LOW BOILING POINTS; HEATING THE GASEOUS STREAM IN A HEAT EXCHANGER (27); COMPRESSING (30) THE STREAM TO FUEL GAS PRESSURE TO OBTAIN FUEL GAS (33); SEPARATING A RECYCLE STREAM (34A) FROM THE FUEL GAS; AT LEAST PARTLY CONDENSING (27) THE RECYCLE STREAM TO OBTAIN A REFLUX STREAM (34B); AND INTRODUCING THE REFLUX STREAM (34B) INTO THE COLUMN (10) ABOVE THE SINGLE CONTACTING SECTION (14).