Compressed natural gas chilling for filling operation

A method for filling a compressed natural gas (CNG) tank, comprising:

• portioning a pressurized natural gas stream into a plurality of streams comprising a fill stream and a utility stream;
• expanding, via a throttling device, a utility stream from a first pressure to a second pressure;
• receiving the fill stream at a first temperature into a first flow channel of a heat exchanger;
• receiving the utility stream at the second pressure into a second flow channel of the heat exchanger;
• exchanging, via the heat exchanger, heat between the fill stream and the utility stream to reduce a temperature of the fill stream within the heat exchanger;
• and
• continuously discharging the fill stream within the heat exchanger from the first flow channel into the CNG tank until reaching a fill state suitable for an extended use CNG operation.

A system for dispensing a first stream of pressurized natural gas onsite at a wellpad, comprising:

• a flow regulator to expand a second stream of pressurized natural gas produced onsite at the wellpad into an expanded natural gas stream to reduce a temperature of the second stream based on the expansion;
• a heat exchanger, comprising:
• a first flow channel to accept the first stream of pressurized natural gas;
• and
• a second flow channel to accept the expanded natural gas stream from the flow regulator, the second flow channel being in thermal communication with the first flow channel;
• a first flow junction to convey the expanded natural gas stream from the second flow channel of the heat exchanger to a production pipeline system for downstream distribution of natural gas;
• and
• a second flow junction to convey the first stream of pressurized natural gas from the heat exchanger into a wellpad compressed natural gas dispensing operation.