Phase implementation of natural gas liquid recovery plants

A natural gas liquid plant configured to operate in either an ethane rejection mode or an ethane recovery mode, the plant comprising:

• an absorber;
• a stripper;
• a feed exchanger;
• an expander;
• and
• one or more separators;
• a plurality of associated connections, wherein each of the plurality of the associated connections is configured to provide a route of fluid communication between two or more of the absorber, the stripper, the feed exchanger, the expander, and the one or more separators;
• wherein in the ethane rejection mode:
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that a first portion of a feed stream forms a first stripper feed stream that is passed from the one or more separators to the stripper;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that a second portion of the feed stream forms a first absorber feed stream that is passed from the one or more separators to the absorber;
• the absorber is configured to produce an absorber bottom stream and an absorber overhead stream, wherein the absorber overhead stream forms a residue gas;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the absorber bottom stream is passed from the absorber to the feed exchanger;
• the stripper is configured to produce a stripper bottom natural gas liquid product stream and a stripper overhead stream;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the stripper overhead stream is passed from the stripper to the feed exchanger, and the feed exchanger receives the stripper overhead stream and chills the stripper overhead stream;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the feed exchanger receives the absorber bottom stream and chills the absorber bottom stream;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the absorber bottom stream is passed from the feed exchanger to the stripper;
• and
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the stripper overhead stream is passed from the feed exchanger to the absorber as a second absorber feed stream;
• and
• wherein in the ethane recovery mode:
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the first portion of the feed stream forms the first stripper feed stream that is passed to the stripper;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the second portion of the feed stream forms the first absorber feed stream that is passed to the absorber;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that a third portion of the feed stream is passed to the expander;
• the expander is configured to expand the third portion of the feed stream;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the third portion of the feed stream forms a second absorber stream that is passed from the expander to the absorber;
• the absorber is configured to produce the absorber bottom stream and the absorber overhead stream, wherein the absorber overhead stream forms the residue gas;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the absorber bottom stream is passed from the absorber to the stripper;
• the stripper is configured to produce the stripper bottom natural gas liquid product stream and the stripper overhead stream;
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the stripper overhead stream is passed from the stripper to the absorber;
• and
• the plurality of the associated connections is configured such that the feed exchanger receives the second portion of the feed stream and chills the second portion of the feed stream, and such that the second portion of the feed stream is passed from the feed exchanger to the absorber.