Configurations and methods for gas condensate separation from high-pressure hydrocarbon mixtures
AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation
InventorJohn Mak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Contemplated configurations and methods for gas processing use a refluxed absorber that receives a liquid and a vapor hydrocarbon feed. The absorber further receives a stripping medium that is at least in part formed from a vapor portion of a stabilizer overhead and also receives a scrubbing medium that is at least in part formed from a liquid portion of the stabilizer overhead. Most preferably, the absorber overhead is maintained at a temperature near or even below the hydrate point of the feed.
Claims17
A method of processing a high pressure hydrocarbon feed in a refluxed absorber and a stabilizer, wherein the hydrocarbon feed includes at least 0.5 mol % of C6+ hydrocarbons, comprising:
- separating the hydrocarbon feed into a vapor portion and a liquid portion;
- feeding the vapor portion and the liquid portion of the high pressure hydrocarbon feed to the refluxed absorber, cooling an overhead product of the refluxed absorber to produce a two-phase mixture, and separating the two-phase mixture to generate a reflux to the refluxed absorber,
- wherein cooling the overhead product is performed to maintain an overhead temperature of the refluxed absorber at or below hydrate temperature of the hydrocarbon feed;
- wherein the refluxed absorber produces a C6+ enriched bottom product and a C6+ depleted overhead product;
- separating the C6+ enriched bottom product in a first separator into a liquid portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product and a vapor portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product;
- feeding the liquid portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product to the stabilizer;
- feeding the vapor portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product to a second separator;
- feeding a stabilizer overhead to the second separator;
- feeding a stripping medium to a bottom portion of the refluxed absorber, wherein the stripping medium is at least in part formed from a vapor portion of the stabilizer overhead;
- and,
- feeding a scrubbing medium above the bottom portion of the refluxed absorber, wherein the scrubbing medium is at least in part formed from a liquid portion of the stabilizer overhead.
A gas treatment plant comprising:
- a feed gas separator configured to receive a C6+ containing feed gas and further configured to produce a liquid portion and vapor portion;
- a refluxed absorber that is configured to receive the liquid portion and vapor portion of the C6+ containing feed gas at a pressure of equal or greater than 600 psig, and that is further configured to produce a C6+ enriched bottom product and a C6+ depleted overhead product;
- a condenser fluidly coupled to the refluxed absorber and configured to receive and cool the C6+ depleted overhead product to thereby form a two-phase mixture, and a reflux separator configured to separate a liquid reflux from the C6+ depleted overhead product;
- a first separator fluidly coupled to the refluxed absorber to receive the C6+ enriched bottom product and to produce a liquid portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product and a vapor portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product;
- a stabilizer fluidly coupled to the first separator and configured to receive the liquid portion of the C6+ enriched bottom product and to produce an overhead;
- a second separator fluidly coupled to the stabilizer to receive the overhead and to produce a vapor portion of the overhead and a liquid portion of the overhead;
- wherein the refluxed absorber is further configured to receive the vapor portion of the overhead as stripping medium at a bottom portion of the refluxed absorber, and to receive the liquid portion of the overhead as a scrubbing medium above the bottom portion of the refluxed absorber;
- and
- wherein the condenser is configured to cool the C6+ depleted overhead product to a temperature effective to maintain an overhead temperature of the refluxed absorber at about or below hydrate temperature of the hydrocarbon feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.