Phase implementation of natural gas liquid recovery plants

A method for operating a natural gas liquid plant in ethane recovery, the method comprising:

• separating a chilled feed gas into a vapor stream and a liquid stream;
• separating the vapor stream into a vapor portion and a liquid portion,
• splitting the vapor portion into a first portion and a second portion;
• expanding, by an expander, the first portion to produce a refrigeration stream;
• cooling, in a first heat exchanger, and letting down a pressure of, in a valve, the second portion to produce a reflux stream;
• feeding the refrigeration stream and the reflux stream to an absorber;
• producing, by the absorber, an absorber overhead stream and an absorber bottom stream;
• heating, in a second heat exchanger, the absorber overhead stream;
• cooling the absorber bottom stream in the second heat exchanger to produce a cooled ethane rich bottom stream;
• feeding the cooled ethane rich bottom stream from the absorber to a stripper;
• fractionating, by the stripper, the cooled ethane rich bottom stream into a natural gas liquid stream and a stripper overhead stream;
• combining the liquid stream and the liquid portion to form a second liquid stream;
• and feeding the second liquid stream to the stripper;
• and
• heating the second liquid stream in the first heat exchanger before feeding the second liquid stream to the stripper.