EP2350546A1 - Récupération de l hélium dans le gaz naturel intégrée à la récupération du lgn - Google Patents

Récupération de l hélium dans le gaz naturel intégrée à la récupération du lgn

Info

Publication number
EP2350546A1
EP2350546A1 EP09819614A EP09819614A EP2350546A1 EP 2350546 A1 EP2350546 A1 EP 2350546A1 EP 09819614 A EP09819614 A EP 09819614A EP 09819614 A EP09819614 A EP 09819614A EP 2350546 A1 EP2350546 A1 EP 2350546A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
stream
liquid
vapor
passing
methane
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP09819614A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Donald Victory
Michael W. Miles
Russell H. Oelfke
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
Original Assignee
ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co filed Critical ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co
Publication of EP2350546A1 publication Critical patent/EP2350546A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/0204—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the feed stream
    • F25J3/0209—Natural gas or substitute natural gas
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/0228—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream
    • F25J3/0233—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream separation of CnHm with 1 carbon atom or more
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/0228—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream
    • F25J3/0238—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream separation of CnHm with 2 carbon atoms or more
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/0228—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream
    • F25J3/028—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream separation of noble gases
    • F25J3/029—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream characterised by the separated product stream separation of noble gases of helium
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
    • F25J2200/02—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification in a single pressure main column system
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
    • F25J2200/70—Refluxing the column with a condensed part of the feed stream, i.e. fractionator top is stripped or self-rectified
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2200/00—Processes or apparatus using separation by rectification
    • F25J2200/76—Refluxing the column with condensed overhead gas being cycled in a quasi-closed loop refrigeration cycle
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2205/00—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means
    • F25J2205/02—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum
    • F25J2205/04—Processes or apparatus using other separation and/or other processing means using simple phase separation in a vessel or drum in the feed line, i.e. upstream of the fractionation step
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2240/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for expanding of process streams
    • F25J2240/02—Expansion of a process fluid in a work-extracting turbine (i.e. isentropic expansion), e.g. of the feed stream
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2290/00—Other details not covered by groups F25J2200/00 - F25J2280/00
    • F25J2290/80—Retrofitting, revamping or debottlenecking of existing plant

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an improved process for cryogenic separation of natural gas. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved process for cryogenically removing helium and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from natural gas to produce a product stream enriched in helium, a liquid product stream enriched in NGLs, and a gaseous product stream enriched in methane.
  • NNLs natural gas liquids
  • a natural gas stream contains methane (Ci) as a major component.
  • the natural gas will typically contain contaminants such as water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, dirt, and iron sulfide; hydrocarbons such as ethane (C 2 ), propane (C3), and higher hydrocarbons; and diluent gases such as nitrogen and helium.
  • a natural gas stream from a gas-bearing reservoir may have to be separated to enrich the methane content of the gas stream.
  • Natural gas is often treated to remove impurities such as carbon dioxide, water, and non-hydrocarbon acid gases. Natural gas is often further processed to separate and recover natural gas liquids (NGLs), which may include hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, butanes, pentanes, and sometimes higher molecular weight components. NGLs are valuable as raw materials for preparing various petrochemicals. NGL is sometimes referred to as C 2+ .
  • NGL natural gas liquids
  • Various distillation methods have been considered for recovering NGL components from natural gas.
  • the NGL is typically separated from methane and more volatile components such as nitrogen and helium in one or more distillation towers. The towers are often referred to as demethanizer or deethanizer columns.
  • Processes employing a demethanizer column separate methane and other volatile components from ethane and heavier components.
  • the methane fraction is typically recovered as purified gas (containing small amounts of inerts such as nitrogen, CO 2 , etc.) for pipeline delivery. NGLs are recovered as much as practical from the feed gas.
  • GSP Gas Subcooled Process
  • RSV Recycle Split-vapor Process
  • patent number 5,568,737 is a residue gas recycle process in which the overhead gas (residue gas) of a demethanizer (or a deethanizer) is compressed and cooled, and is depressurized to make a low-temperature liquid, and then the liquid is supplied as a reflux to the demethanizer (or the deethanizer).
  • Helium is another component of natural gas in certain natural gas fields, typically present in small concentrations.
  • the presents of helium in the natural gas reduces the heating value of the natural gas.
  • helium may have independent commercial uses if it can be economically separated from the natural gas. Consequently, the separation of helium from natural gas may have a twofold economic benefit, namely, enhancement of the natural gas heating value and production of a marketable gas such as helium.
  • cryogenic processes are known in the art for the cryogenic separation of helium from a natural gas stream.
  • cryogenic processes are the multi-stage flash cycle process and the high pressure distillation process.
  • the cryogenic processes typically subject the helium-bearing natural gas to successively lower temperatures to condense and thereby remove from the natural gas those components therein having boiling points higher than that of helium. These components generally include, in descending order of their boiling points, hydrocarbons heavier than methane, methane itself, and nitrogen.
  • feed gas is partially liquefied and phase separated.
  • Dissolved helium in the liquid portion is recovered by several subsequent flash steps in which small amounts of helium-rich vapor are flashed off and eventually added to the bulk helium-rich stream.
  • feed gas is at least partially liquefied and fed to a distillation step in which dissolved helium is stripped from the liquid at feed pressure.
  • the high pressure distillation process has the advantage of higher helium content in the helium-enriched stream than the flash cycle.
  • the product streams from the subsequent processing steps can be returned at higher pressure, thereby reducing energy consumption for the crude helium stream recompression.
  • the NRU/HRU unit produces a vapor stream enriched in helium, a vapor stream enriched in nitrogen, and a residual gas stream enriched in methane.
  • the invention relates to a process of producing a helium- enriched vapor stream, a methane-enriched vapor stream, and a liquid stream enriched in hydrocarbons and other compounds heavier than methane from a pressurized, multicomponent, multiphase stream comprising methane (Ci), helium (He) and hydrocarbons heavier than methane (C 2+ ).
  • the process comprises cooling the gas stream to produce at least one vapor stream enriched in helium and at least one liquid stream, withdrawing at least a portion of the at least one vapor stream as a helium-enriched product stream, passing at least a portion of the at least one liquid stream to a demethanizer, withdrawing from the demethanizer a vapor enriched in methane (Ci), and withdrawing from the demethanizer a liquid enriched in hydrocarbons heavier than methane (C 2+ ).
  • the invention in another aspect, relates to a process comprising passing a natural gas feed stream containing helium and NGLs into a first phase separator to produce a first vapor phase and a first liquid phase, withdrawing the first vapor phase from the first phase separator, separating the first vapor phase into a second vapor phase and a third vapor phase, cooling the second vapor phase by indirect heat exchange in a heat exchanger, expanding the cooled second vapor phase to produce a reduced-pressure vapor phase and reduced-pressure liquid phase, and passing the reduced-pressure vapor and liquid phases to a second phase separator, withdrawing from the second phase separator a helium-enriched vapor phase, withdrawing liquid from the second phase separator and passing the withdrawn liquid to a first flow regulating device, passing liquid from the first flow regulating device to a demethanizer, expanding the third vapor phase to produce a reduced-pressure vapor phase and reduced-pressure pressure liquid phase, and passing the reduced-pressure vapor and liquid phases to the demethanizer,
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a GSP process for NGL recovery.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a GSP process for NGL recovery.
  • Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a RSV process for NGL recovery.
  • Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a GSP process for NGL recovery.
  • Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a RSV process for NGL recovery.
  • Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention for producing products from natural gas in which helium recovery is integrated into a RSV process for NGL recovery.
  • Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of another aspect of the invention which illustrates cooling by refrigeration instead of expansion devices.
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another aspect of the invention which illustrates cooling by refrigeration instead of expansion devices.
  • a or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity.
  • the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more”, and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein unless a limit is specifically stated.
  • the term "enriched" as applied to any stream withdrawn from a process means that the withdrawn stream contains a concentration of a particular component that is higher than the concentration of that component in the feed stream to the process.
  • expansion device refers to one or more devices suitable for reducing the pressure of a fluid in a line (for example, a liquid stream, a vapor stream, or a multiphase stream containing both liquid and vapor). Unless a particular type of expansion device is specifically stated, the expansion device may be (1) at least partially by isenthalpic means, or (2) may be at least partially by isentropic means, or (3) may be a combination of both isentropic means and isenthalpic means.
  • Suitable devices for isenthalpic expansion of natural gas are known in the art and generally include, but are not limited to, manually or automatically actuated throttling devices such as, for example, valves, control valves, Joule- Thomson (J-T) valves, or venturi devices.
  • Suitable devices for isentropic expansion of natural gas are known in the art and generally include equipment such as expanders or turbo expanders that extract or derive work from such expansion.
  • Suitable devices for isentropic expansion of liquid streams are known in the art and generally include equipment such as expanders, hydraulic expanders, liquid turbines, or turbo expanders that extract or derive work from such expansion.
  • An example of a combination of both isentropic means and isenthalpic means may be a Joule-Thomson valve and a turbo expander in parallel, which provides the capability of using either alone or using both the J-T valve and the turbo expander simultaneously.
  • Isenthalpic or isentropic expansion can be conducted in the all- liquid phase, all-vapor phase, or mixed phases, and can be conducted to facilitate a phase change from a vapor stream or liquid stream to a multiphase stream (a stream having both vapor and liquid phases).
  • the reference to more than one expansion device in any drawing does not necessarily mean that each expansion device is the same type or size.
  • the term "demethanizer” refers broadly to any distillation column to separate methane and other volatile components from ethane and heavier components.
  • the distillation column contains a plurality of vertically spaced trays, one or more packed beds, or some combination of trays and packing. The trays and/or packing provide the necessary contact between the liquids falling downward in the column and the vapors rising upward.
  • the column also includes one or more reboilers (not shown in the drawings) which heat and vaporize a portion of the liquids flowing down the column to provide the stripping vapors which flow up the column. These vapors strip the methane from the liquids, so that the bottom liquid product is substantially devoid of methane and comprised of the majority of the ethane, propane, and heavier hydrocarbons contained in one or more feed streams to the column.
  • indirect heat exchange means the bringing of two fluids into heat exchange relation without any physical contact or intermixing of the fluids with each other.
  • turboexpansion and “turboexpander” mean respectively method and apparatus for the flow of high pressure fluid through a turbine to reduce the pressure and the temperature of the fluid, thereby generating refrigeration and useful work.
  • refoiler refers to an indirect heat exchange means used to at least partially vaporize a stream withdrawn near the bottom of a demethanizer.
  • compressor means a machine that increases the pressure of a gas by the application of work.
  • cryogenic pump means a device for increasing the head of a fluid stream at cryogenic temperatures.
  • bottoms reboiler refers to an indirect heat exchange means used to at least partially vaporize a stream withdrawn near the bottom of a distillation column.
  • bottoms stream or “bottoms product” refers to an at least partially liquid stream withdrawn from at or near the bottom port of a distillation column.
  • the terms “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise” are open- ended transition terms used to transition from a subject recited before the term to one or elements recited after the term, where the element or elements listed after the transition term are not necessarily the only elements that make up of the subject.
  • the terms “containing,” “contains,” and “contain” have the same open- ended meaning as “comprising,” “comprises,” and “comprise.”
  • the terms “distillation” or “fractionation” refer to the process of physically separating chemical components into a vapor phase and a liquid phase based on differences in the components' boiling points at specified temperature and pressure.
  • a "flow regulating device” is any device capable of regulating flow of liquid from a separator to maintain a desired liquid level in the separator, including but not limited to such devices as a liquid regulator, expansion valve, flow regulating pump, or a combination of such devices.
  • directly heat exchange refers to a process wherein the refrigerant cools the substance to be cooled without actual physical contact between the refrigerating agent and the substance to be cooled.
  • Core-in-kettle heat exchangers and brazed aluminum plate-fin heat exchangers are specific examples of equipment that facilitate indirect heat exchange.
  • natural gas liquids As used herein, the terms “natural gas liquids” , “NGL” or “NGLs” refer to mixtures of hydrocarbons whose components are, for example, typically ethane and heavier. Some examples of hydrocarbon components of NGL streams include ethane, propane, butane, and pentane isomers, benzene, toluene, other aromatic molecules, and possibly small amounts of methane, CO 2 , and other components.
  • overhead stream or “overhead product” refers to an at least partially vapor stream withdrawn from at or near the top port of a fluid separation vessel such as a phase separator, demethanizer or distillation column.
  • distillation refers to an at least partially liquid stream introduced into the upper portion of a distillation column in order to increase separation efficiency.
  • side reboiler refers to an indirect heat exchange means used to heat and at least partially vaporize a stream withdrawn from between the upper and lower portions of a distillation column.
  • turboexpander refers to any device for expanding a stream that is capable of generating useful work.
  • the invention relates to a process for producing a helium-enriched vapor stream, a methane-enriched vapor stream, and a liquid stream enriched in hydrocarbons heavier than methane from a pressurized, multicomponent, multiphase stream comprising methane (Ci), helium (He), and NGLs,
  • the recovery of helium can be from any stream in the NGL recovery process that is primarily liquid during the processing by passing the liquid to a phase separator and flashing out a helium-enriched vapor stream.
  • Fig. 1 schematically illustrates one embodiment of processing a natural gas stream to produce a vapor fraction containing substantially all the methane, a liquid fraction containing a large portion of hydrocarbons heavier than methane, and a helium-enriched fraction.
  • Feed stream 14 is provided to the system with contaminants, if any, removed from the natural gas by pretreatment (not shown in the drawings).
  • a raw natural gas feed stock suitable for the process of this invention may comprise natural gas obtained from a crude oil well (associated gas) or from a gas well (non-associated gas).
  • the composition of the natural gas can vary significantly. Natural gas will typically contain methane (Ci) as the major component, and will typically also contain ethane (C 2 ), propane (C3), and higher hydrocarbons, diluents such as nitrogen, argon, and helium, and contaminants such as water, carbon dioxide, mercury, mercaptans, hydrogen sulfide, and iron sulfide. The solubilities of these contaminants vary with temperature, pressure, and composition.
  • feed stream 14 preferably enters the process at a pressure above about 3,100 kPa (450 psia) and more preferably above about 4,800 kPa (700 psia) and a temperature preferably between about —40° C. and —10° C; however, different pressures and temperatures can be used, if desired, and the system can be modified accordingly.
  • the gas stream may be pressurized by any suitable compression means (not shown), which may comprise one or more compressors.
  • Feed stream 14 should be sufficiently cool such that the feed stream is partly condensed, comprising a mixture of vapor and liquid.
  • Feed stream 14 is passed to one or more phase separators 80 which separate the multiphase feed stream 14 into vapor stream 16 and a liquid stream 30.
  • the separator 80 has a liquid level control means (not shown in the drawing) which operates in a known manner to control one or more flow regulating devices 72.
  • Flow regulating device 72 can be any device capable of regulating the flow of liquid from the separator 80 to maintain a desired liquid level in separator 80, such as but not limited to a liquid regulator, expansion device, or flow regulating pump, or a combination of such equipment. Flow from the flow regulating device 72 to demethanizer 88 occurs via stream 31.
  • the flow regulating device 72 can be used to depressurize the liquid to a pressure at or near the pressure of the demethanizer 88. If the pressure of the stream 30 is lower than the pressure in demethanizer 88, a flow regulating pump may be used to increase the pressure of stream 30 to a pressure at or near the pressure of the demethanizer
  • a first fraction of vapor stream 16 may optionally be withdrawn and passed as stream 25 to an expansion device 71 wherein the pressure of the vapor stream 25 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream 25.
  • Stream 26 exiting the expansion device 71 is passed to the demethanizer 88.
  • a second fraction of vapor stream 16 is passed as stream 18 to one or more heat exchangers 63 wherein stream 18 is cooled by indirect heat exchange against a suitable coolant, preferably overhead vapor from demethanizer 88 (not shown in Fig. 1).
  • This embodiment is not limited to any type of heat exchanger, but because of economics, plate-fin, spiral wound, and cold box heat exchangers are preferred.
  • Stream 19 exiting heat exchanger 63 is passed to an expansion device 70 wherein the pressure of stream 19 is reduced, thereby effecting a flashing of liquid and expansion cooling of stream 19.
  • Stream 20 exiting the expansion device 70 is passed to one or more phase separators 81 , which separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase, which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • Vapor stream 21 removed from phase separator 81 is enriched in helium.
  • Liquid stream 22 exiting the phase separator 81 is passed to an one or more flow regulating devices 73.
  • the separator 81 has a liquid level control means (not shown in the drawing) which operates in a known manner to control one or more flow regulating devices 73.
  • Flow regulating device 73 can be any device capable of regulating the flow of liquid from the separator 81 to maintain a desired liquid level in separator 81 , such as but not limited to a liquid regulator, expansion device, or flow regulating pump, or a combination of such equipment. Flow from the flow regulating device 73 to demethanizer 88 occurs via stream 23. If the pressure of stream 22 is higher than the pressure in the demethanizer 88, the flow regulating device 73 can be used to depressurize the liquid to a pressure at or near the pressure of the demethanizer 88.
  • a flow regulating pump may be used to increase the pressure of stream 22 to a pressure at or near the pressure of the demethanizer 88. If the flow regulating device 73 is an expansion device, the pressure of the liquid stream 22 is reduced, thereby effecting some expansion cooling of this stream.
  • Stream 35 leaves the demethanizer 88 enriched in methane and stream 36 leaves the demethanizer substantially demethanized liquid product enriched in NGLs.
  • the demethanizer bottoms stream 36 may be passed to a conventional fractionation plant (not shown), the general operation of which is known to those skilled in the art.
  • the fractionation plant may comprise one or more fractionation columns which separate liquid bottom stream 36 into predetermined amounts of ethane, propane, butane, pentane, and hexane.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure.
  • Feed stream 14, pretreated as described above with respect to Fig. 1 is passed to phase separator 80 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase feed stream 14 into a gas phase discharged as vapor stream 16 and a liquid stream discharged as liquid stream 30.
  • the liquid stream 30 is passed to an flow regulating device 72, preferably an expansion device wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 30 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 30.
  • Stream 31 exiting the expansion device 72 is passed to phase separator 83 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase feed stream 31 into a vapor phase discharged as vapor stream 32 and a liquid phase discharged as stream 33.
  • Vapor stream 32 removed from the phase separator 83 is enriched in helium.
  • Liquid stream 33 exiting the phase separator 83 is passed to an flow regulating device 75.
  • Stream 34 exiting the flow regulating device 75 is passed to the demethanizer 88.
  • a first fraction of vapor stream 16 is passed as stream 25 to one or more expansion devices 71 wherein the pressure of stream 25 is reduced resulting in expansion cooling.
  • Stream 26 exiting the expansion device 71 is passed to an optional phase separator 82 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase feed stream 26 into a vapor phase discharged as vapor stream 27 and a liquid stream discharged as stream 28.
  • Vapor stream 27 removed from phase separator 82 is enriched in helium.
  • a second fraction of vapor stream 16 is passed as stream 18 to one or more heat exchangers 63 wherein stream 18 is cooled by indirect heat exchange against a suitable coolant, preferably overhead vapor from the demethanizer 88 (not shown in Fig. 2).
  • a suitable coolant preferably overhead vapor from the demethanizer 88 (not shown in Fig. 2).
  • This embodiment is not limited to any type or number of heat exchangers, but because of economics, plate-fin, spiral wound, and cold box heat exchangers are preferred.
  • Stream 19 exiting heat exchanger 63 is passed to an expansion device 70 wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 19 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 19.
  • phase separator 81 which may comprise one or more phase separators that separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase, which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • Vapor stream 21 removed from phase separator 81 is enriched in helium.
  • Liquid stream 22 exiting the phase separator 81 is passed to one or more flow regulating devices 73.
  • Stream 23 exiting the flow regulating device 73 is passed to the demethanizer 88.
  • Vapor stream 35 leaves the demethanizer 88 as enriched methane and liquid stream 36 leaves the demethanizer 88 as enriched NGL.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure. The process illustrated in Fig.
  • Vapor stream 35 is passed to heat exchanger 63a which is shown in Fig. 3 as a stand-alone heat exchanger, but preferably heat exchangers 63 a and 63 are the same heat exchanger in which vapor stream 35 cools by indirect heat exchange vapor stream 18. It should not be inferred that a heat exchange stage is equivalent to a single heat exchanger. On the contrary, a heat exchange stage should be understood to include one or more heat exchangers of various kinds which may be disposed in parallel and/or series configurations.
  • Stream 37 exiting the heat exchanger 63 a is passed to one or more stages of compression, preferably two stages.
  • Fig. 3 shows only one compression stage 90.
  • the compressed vapor is preferably cooled by conventional air or water cooler (not shown in Fig. 3).
  • Pressured vapor leaving compression stage 90 is separated into a methane-enriched product stream 38 and recycle vapor stream 39.
  • Vapor stream 39 is cooled by being passed through heat exchanger 63a and stream 40 exiting the heat exchanger 63a is passed to phase separator 84 which comprises one or more separators that separate the stream 40 into a vapor phase discharged as vapor stream 41 and a liquid stream discharged as stream 42.
  • Vapor stream 41 removed from phase separator 84 is enriched in helium.
  • Liquid stream 42 exiting the phase separator 84 is passed to one or more flow regulating devices 76.
  • Stream 43 exiting the flow regulating device 76 is passed to the demethanizer 88 as a reflux stream.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure.
  • feed gas 110 is passed through cooler 160.
  • a first fraction of the cooled stream 111 leaving cooler 160 is passed to cooler 161.
  • a second fraction of stream 111 is passed as stream 112 to heat exchanger 162 in which stream 112 is cooled by indirect heat exchange against a portion of vapor stream 135 removed from demethanizer 188.
  • the coolers 160 and 161 may comprise one or more conventional heat exchangers that cool the natural gas stream to cryogenic temperatures, preferably down to about —10° C to —40° C.
  • the coolers 160 and 161 may comprise one or more heat exchange systems cooled by conventional refrigeration systems, one or more expansion means such as Joule-Thomson valves or turboexpanders, one or more heat exchangers which use liquid from the lower section of the demethanizer 188 as coolant, one or more heat exchangers that use the bottoms product stream 136 of demethanizer 188 as coolant, or any other suitable source of cooling.
  • the preferred cooling system will depend on the availability of refrigeration cooling, space limitation, if any, and environmental and safety considerations. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable cooling system taking into account the operating circumstance of the liquefaction process.
  • Stream 113 exiting heat exchanger 162 and the stream exiting cooler 161 are combined as stream 114 which enters phase separator 180 which produces vapor stream 116 and a liquid stream 130.
  • the liquid stream 130 is passed to a flow regulating device 168, preferably is preferably an expansion device, more preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 130 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 130.
  • Stream 131 exiting the flow regulating device 168 is passed to the demethanizer 188.
  • a first fraction of vapor stream 116 is passed as stream 125 to an expansion device 167, preferably a turboexpander, wherein the pressure of the vapor stream 125 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 126 exiting the expansion device 167 is passed to the demethanizer 188.
  • a second fraction of vapor stream 116 is passed as stream 118 to a heater exchanger 163 wherein stream 118 is cooled by indirect heat exchange by overhead vapor stream 135 from demethanizer 188.
  • This embodiment is not limited to any type of heat exchanger 163, but because of economics, plate-fin, spiral wound, and cold box heat exchangers are preferred.
  • Stream 119 exiting heat exchanger 163 is passed to an expansion device 164 wherein the pressure of stream 119 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 120 exiting the expansion device 164 is passed to one or more phase separators 165, which separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase, which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • Vapor stream 145 removed from phase separator 165 which is enriched in helium, is passed through heat exchanger 171 and is then passed as cooled stream 146 to expansion device 172, preferably a J-T valve, wherein the pressure of stream 146 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 146.
  • Stream 147 exiting the expansion device 172 is passed to phase separator 173 which comprises one or more separators that separate feed stream 147 into a gas phase discharged as vapor stream 148 and a liquid stream discharged as stream 149.
  • Vapor stream 148 is more enriched in helium than stream 145. Vapor stream 148 is passed through heat exchanger 171 to provide refrigeration duty for vapor stream 145 entering heat exchanger 171. Vapor stream 148 exits heat exchanger 171 as crude helium stream 151 which may be upgraded to a higher helium concentration by one or more low temperature processing steps (not shown in the drawings) or other helium enrichment processes (also not shown in the drawings), which are known to those skilled in the art to produce helium.
  • Liquid stream 149 exiting the phase separator 173 is passed to a flow regulating device 174, preferably a J-T valve, wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 149 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 150 exiting the flow regulating device 174 is passed through heat exchanger 171 to provide additional refrigeration duty for vapor stream 145.
  • Stream 152 exiting heat exchanger 171 is passed through heat exchanger 163 to provide cooling for vapor stream 118.
  • Vapor stream 153 exits heat exchanger 163 as low pressure (LP) fuel which may supply a portion of the power needed to drive compressors and pumps in the separation process or may be further compressed to join stream 144 as methane-enriched product.
  • LP low pressure
  • Liquid stream 122 exiting phase separator 165 is passed to one or more flow regulating devices 166, preferably an expansion device wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 122 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 123 exiting the flow regulating device 166 is passed to the demethanizer 188.
  • Stream 135 leaves the demethanizer 188 as enriched methane and stream 136 leaves the demethanizer substantially demethanized liquid product enriched in NGL.
  • the demethanizer bottoms stream 136 may be passed to a conventional fractionation plant (not shown), the general operation of which is known to those skilled in the art.
  • the fractionation plant may comprise one or more fractionation columns which separate liquid bottom stream 136 into predetermined amounts of ethane, propane, butane, pentane, and hexane.
  • Vapor stream 135 removed from the demethanizer 188 provides refrigeration duty for heat exchanger 163. Warmed stream 135 exits heat exchanger 163 as stream 138, a portion of which is passed as stream 139 through heat exchanger 162 to cool part stream 112. Stream 140 exits heat exchanger 162 and is recombined with stream 138.
  • a part of the vapor stream 138 may be withdrawn from the system as fuel gas (stream 141).
  • the remaining portion of vapor stream 138 is compressed by one or more compressors. Two compressors 169 and 170 are shown in Fig. 4.
  • high pressure (HP) fuel (stream 143) may be withdrawn after any one of the compression stages.
  • Residual gas stream 144 is enriched in methane.
  • Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure.
  • pretreated feed gas 210 is passed through cooler 260.
  • a first fraction of the cooled stream 211 leaving cooler 260 is passed to cooler 261.
  • a second fraction of stream 211 is passed as stream 212 to heat exchanger 262 in which stream 212 is cooled by indirect heat exchange against a portion of vapor stream 235 removed from demethanizer 288.
  • the coolers 260 and 261 may comprise one or more conventional heat exchangers that cool the natural gas stream to cryogenic temperatures, preferably down to about —10° C to —40° C.
  • the coolers 260 and 261 may comprise one or more heat exchange systems cooled by conventional refrigeration systems, one or more expansion means such as Joule-Thomson valves or turbo expanders, one or more heat exchangers which use liquid from the lower section of the demethanizer 288 as coolant, one or more heat exchangers that use the bottoms product stream 236 of demethanizer 288 as coolant, or any other suitable source of cooling.
  • the preferred cooling system will depend on the availability of refrigeration cooling, space limitation, if any, and environmental and safety considerations. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable cooling system taking into account the operating circumstance of the liquefaction process.
  • Stream 213 exiting heat exchanger 262 and the stream exiting cooler 261 are combined as stream 214 which enters phase separator 280 which produces vapor stream 216 and a liquid stream 230.
  • the liquid stream 230 is passed to a flow regulating device 268, preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 230 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 231 exiting the flow regulating device 268 is passed to the demethanizer 288.
  • a first fraction of vapor stream 216 is passed as stream 225 to an expansion device 267, preferably a turboexpander, wherein the pressure of the vapor stream 225 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 226 exiting the expansion device 267 is passed to the demethanizer 288.
  • a second fraction of vapor stream 216 is passed as stream 218 to a heat exchanger 263 wherein stream 218 is cooled by indirect heat exchange by overhead vapor stream 235 from demethanizer 288.
  • This embodiment is not limited to any type of heat exchanger 263, but because of economics, plate-fin, spiral wound, and cold box heat exchangers are preferred.
  • Stream 219 exiting heat exchanger 263 is passed to an expansion device 264, preferably a J-T valve, wherein the pressure of stream 219 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 220 exiting the expansion device 264 is passed to one or more phase separators 265, which separate a vapor phase from a liquid phase, which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • Vapor stream 221 removed from phase separator 265, which is enriched in helium, is combined with vapor stream 283, and the combined stream 223 is passed to heat exchanger 271.
  • Cooled stream 246 exits heat exchanger 271 and is passed to an expansion device 272 wherein the pressure of stream 246 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 246.
  • phase separator 273 which comprises one or more separators that separate feed stream 247 into a gas phase discharged as vapor stream 248 and a liquid stream discharged as liquid stream 249.
  • Vapor stream 248 removed from phase separator 273 is more enriched in helium than stream 221.
  • Vapor stream 248 is passed through heat exchanger 271 to provide refrigeration duty for vapor stream 223.
  • Stream 248 exits heat exchanger 271 as crude helium stream 251 , which may be upgraded to a higher helium concentration by one or more processing steps (not shown) to produce helium.
  • Liquid stream 249 exiting the phase separator 273 is passed to flow regulating device 274, preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 249 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 250 exiting the expansion device 274 is passed through heat exchanger 271 to provide refrigeration assistance for stream 223 entering heat exchanger 271.
  • Stream 252 exiting heat exchanger 271 is passed through heat exchanger 263 to provide refrigeration duty for cooling vapor stream 218.
  • Vapor stream 253 exits heat exchanger 263 as a gas which, for example, can be used as low pressure (LP) fuel, which may supply a portion of the power needed to drive compressors and pumps in the separation process.
  • LP low pressure
  • Vapor stream 235 removed from the demethanizer 288 provides refrigeration duty for heat exchanger 263.
  • Warmed stream 235 exits heat exchanger 263 as stream 238, a first portion of which is passed as stream 239 through heat exchanger 262 to cool part of the feed stream 212.
  • Stream 240 exits heat exchanger 262 and is recombined with stream 238.
  • a second portion of stream 238 is passed through heat exchanger 276 and recombined with stream 240.
  • a portion of the vapor stream 238 may be withdrawn from the system as fuel gas (stream 241). The remaining portion of vapor stream 238 is compressed by one or more compressors. Two compressors 269 and 270 are shown in Fig. 5.
  • high pressure (HP) fuel (stream 243), enriched in methane, may be withdrawn after any one of the compression stages 269 and 270.
  • enriched methane in stream 243 may also be drawn as a product stream.
  • Stream 277 exiting heat exchanger 276 is passed through heat exchanger 263 for further cooling.
  • Stream 278 exiting heat exchanger 263 is passed to expansion device 279, preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the stream 278 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 281 exiting the expansion device 279 is passed to phase separator 282 which produces vapor stream 283 and a liquid stream 284. Vapor stream 283 is merged with vapor stream 221. Liquid stream 284 is passed to flow regulating device 285, preferably a pressure reduction means, and more preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the stream 284 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 286 exiting the flow regulating device 285 is passed to demethanizer 288.
  • Liquid stream 222 from phase separator 265 is passed to flow regulating device 266, preferably a pressure reduction means, and more preferably a Joule-Thomson valve, wherein the pressure of the stream 222 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of this stream.
  • Stream 224 exiting the flow regulating device 266 is passed to demethanizer 288.
  • Liquid stream 236 leaves the demethanizer 288 as substantially demethanized liquid product enriched in NGL.
  • the demethanizer bottoms stream 236 may be passed to a conventional fractionation plant (not shown), the general operation of which is known to those skilled in the art.
  • the fractionation plant may comprise one or more fractionation columns which separate liquid bottom stream 236 into predetermined amounts of ethane, propane, butane, pentane, and hexane.
  • Fig. 6 illustrates still another embodiment of the disclosure which is similar to the process illustrated in Fig. 5 except that recycle vapor stream 278 is passed to phase separator 265 instead of being passed to phase separator 282 as shown in Fig. 5.
  • the phase separator 282 shown in Fig. 5 is omitted.
  • Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the disclosure which is similar to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 except that refrigeration systems are used to cool vapor streams in place of expansion devices as shown in Fig. 1.
  • Feed stream 300 pretreated as described above with respect to Fig. 1, is passed to phase separator 301 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase feed stream 300 into a gas phase discharged as vapor stream 302 and a liquid stream discharged as liquid stream 303.
  • the liquid stream 303 is passed to an flow regulating device 304, preferably an expansion device wherein the pressure of the liquid stream 303 is reduced, thereby effecting a reduction in temperature of stream 303.
  • Stream 305 exiting the flow regulating device 304 is passed to the demethanizer 388.
  • vapor stream 302 is passed to one or more heat exchangers 306 wherein stream 302 is cooled by indirect heat exchange against a suitable coolant, preferably overhead vapor (not shown in Fig. 7) from demethanizer 388.
  • Stream 307 exiting the heat exchanger 306 is passed to phase separator 308 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase stream 307 into a vapor phase discharged as vapor stream 309 and a liquid stream discharged as stream 310.
  • Vapor stream 309 is passed to one or more heat exchangers 311 wherein stream 309 is cooled by indirect heat exchange.
  • phase separator 313 which comprises one or more separators that separate the multiphase stream 312 into a vapor stream 314 which is enriched in helium and a liquid bottoms stream 315.
  • Liquid stream 315 exiting the phase separator 313 is passed to one or more flow regulating devices 316.
  • Stream 317 exiting the flow regulating device 316 is passed to the demethanizer 388.
  • Liquid stream 310 from phase separator 308 is passed to a flow regulating device 320.
  • Stream 321 exiting the flow regulating device 320 is passed to the demethanizer 388.
  • Vapor stream 318 leaves the demethanizer 388 as enriched methane and liquid stream 319 leaves the demethanizer 388 as enriched NGL.
  • any of the embodiments of Figs. 1 , 2 and 4 may be installed as a retrofit to a pre-existing Gas Subcooled Process ("GSP") of the type disclosed in U.S. patents numbers 4,140,504; 4,157,904; and 4,278,457 and the embodiments of Figs. 3, 5, and 6 may be installed as a retrofit to a preexisting Recycle Split-vapor Process ("RSV”) of the type disclosed in U.S. patent number 5,568,737.
  • GSP Gas Subcooled Process
  • RSV Recycle Split-vapor Process
  • the amount of helium recovered, as well as the purity of the helium-enriched product streams can be regulated by persons skilled in the art to meet desired product compositions and flow rates by adjusting the pressure drop through the various expansion devices.
  • the retrofitted helium recovery unit disclosed herein can flexibly adapt to variations in the rate and composition of the natural gas feed stream, and can readily be adjusted to change the composition of the helium-enriched product streams.
  • One benefit of using the invention over methods used in the past is the ability to integrate helium recovery with existing units or processes in a natural gas plant.
  • Helium recovery schemes in the past typically have separate unit operations from NGL recovery units or processes. Integration of helium recovery and NGL recovery minimizes the capital cost associated with the entire facility, which afford more helium recovery in gas plants.
  • Examples [0075] A simulated mass and energy balance was carried out to illustrate the embodiments illustrated in the Figs. 4 and 5, and the results are set forth in Tables 1 and 2 below. The data presented in the Tables below are offered to provide a better understanding of the embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5, but the invention is not to be construed as unnecessarily limited thereto.
  • Table 1 corresponds to the process illustrated in Fig. 4
  • Table 2 corresponds to the process illustrated in Fig. 5.
  • the data were obtained using a commercially available process simulation program called HYSYSTM, version 2004.1 (13.2.0.6510), available from Hyprotech Ltd.; however, other commercially available process simulation programs can be used to develop similar data, including for example HYSIMTM, PROIITM, and ASPEN PLUSTM, all of which are familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art.

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Abstract

L’invention concerne un processus de production d’un courant de vapeur enrichi en hélium, d’un courant de vapeur enrichi en méthane et d’un courant de liquide enrichi en hydrocarbures plus lourds que le méthane à partir d’un courant de phases multiples, à plusieurs composants, sous pression comprenant du méthane (C1), de l’hélium (He) et des hydrocarbures plus lourds que le méthane (C2+). Le processus consiste à refroidir le courant de phases multiples afin de produire au moins un courant de vapeur enrichi en hélium et au moins un courant de liquide, à retirer au moins une partie dudit courant de vapeur en tant que courant de produit enrichi en hélium, à faire passer au moins une partie dudit courant de liquide dans un déméthaniseur, à retirer du déméthaniseur une vapeur enrichie en méthane (C1), et à retirer du déméthaniseur un liquide enrichi en hydrocarbures plus lourds que le méthane (C2+).
EP09819614A 2008-10-07 2009-07-28 Récupération de l hélium dans le gaz naturel intégrée à la récupération du lgn Withdrawn EP2350546A1 (fr)

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