Aromatics and/or heavies removal from a methane-based feed by condensation and stripping

Abstract

A process and associated apparatus for removing aromatics and/or higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from a methane-based gas stream comprising the steps of (a) condensing a minor portion of the methane-based gas stream thereby producing a two-phase stream, (b) feeding said two phase stream to the upper section of a column, (c) removing from the upper section of the column an aromatic- and/or heavies-depleted gas stream, (d) removing from the lower section of the column an aromatic- and/or heavies-rich liquid stream, (e) contacting via indirect heat exchange the aromatic- and/or heavies-rich liquid stream with a methane-rich stripping gas thereby producing a warmed liquid stream and a cooled stripping gas stream, (f) feeding said cooled stripping gas stream to the lower section of the column; and (g) contacting said two-phase stream and the cooled stripping gas stream in the column thereby producing the aromatic- and/or heavies-depleted gas stream and the aromatic- and/or heavies-rich liquid stream.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.