CONFIGURATIONS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED NGL RECOVERY

摘要

Feed gas 1 in an improved NGL processing plant is cooled below ambient temperature and above hydrate point of the feed gas to condense heavy components 6 and a significant portion of water 4 contained in the feed gas. The water 4 is removed in a feed gas separator 101 and the condensed liquids are fed into an integrated refluxed stripper 104 that operates as a drier/demethanizer for the condensed liquids, and the uncondensed portion 5 containing light components is further dried 106 and cooled prior to turboexpansion 23 and demethanization 112. Consequently, processing of heavy components in the cold section is eliminated, and feed gas with a wide range of compositions can be efficiently processed for high NGL recovery at substantially the same operating conditions and optimum expander efficiency.