Systems and processes for upgrading natural gas liquids from shale gas
AssigneePurdue Research Foundation
InventorsRakesh Agrawal, Zewei Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and processes for upgrading natural gas liquids (NGL). A natural gas, preferably a shale gas, comprising methane and one or more natural gas liquids can be converted to one or more liquid hydrocarbons. Methane can be separated from the one or more liquid hydrocarbons using a liquid absorbent to provide a first separated stream comprising the methane from the converted stream and a second separated stream comprising the one or more liquid hydrocarbons from the converted stream. At least a portion of the one or more liquid hydrocarbons can be recycled as the liquid absorbent.
Claims20
A process for upgrading natural gas liquids (NGL), comprising:
- a) providing a natural gas comprising methane and one or more natural gas liquids;
- b) converting at least a portion of the natural gas liquids to one or more liquid hydrocarbons;
- c) separating the methane from the one or more liquid hydrocarbons using a liquid absorbent to provide a first separated stream comprising the methane from the converted stream and a second separated stream comprising the one or more liquid hydrocarbons from the converted stream;
- and
- d) recycling at least a portion of the one or more liquid hydrocarbons as the liquid absorbent.
A process for upgrading natural gas liquids (NGL), comprising:
- a) providing a natural gas comprising methane and one or more C2+ hydrocarbons;
- b) dehydrogenating at least a portion of the one or more C2+ hydrocarbons into one or more C2+ olefinic hydrocarbons to provide a first converted stream comprising methane and the one or more C2+ olefinic hydrocarbons;
- c) oligomerizing the first converted stream to provide a second converted stream comprising methane and one or more C4 to C26 oligomers;
- d) separating the methane from the second converted stream using a liquid absorbent to provide a first separated stream comprising the methane from the second converted stream and a second separated stream comprising the one or more C4 to C26 oligomers from the second converted stream;
- and
- e) recycling at least a portion of the one or more C4 to C26 oligomers as the liquid absorbent.
A process for upgrading natural gas liquids (NGL), comprising:
- a) providing a sweet and dry shale gas comprising at least 50 mol % methane and 5 mol % to 40 mol % one or more C2+ paraffins;
- b) dehydrogenating at least a portion of the one or more C2+ paraffins into one or more C2+ olefins to provide a first converted stream comprising methane and the one or more C2+ olefins;
- c) oligomerizing the first converted stream to provide a second converted stream comprising methane and one or more C4 to C26 oligomers;
- d) absorbing the methane from the second converted stream using a liquid absorbent to provide a first separated stream comprising the methane from the second converted stream and a second separated stream comprising the one or more C4 to C26 oligomers from the second converted stream;
- e) separating hydrogen from the methane in the first separated stream;
- f) separating gas from the one or more C4 to C26 oligomers in the second separated stream to provide an oligomer product comprising the one or more C4 to C26 oligomers;
- and
- g) recycling at least a portion of the oligomer product as the liquid absorbent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.