PROCESS AND RETROFIT UNIT FOR UPGRADING A NATURAL GAS PLANT.

摘要

A RETROFITTED UNIT TO AN EXISTING SIMPLE REFRIGERATED NATURAL GAS PLANT THAT SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASES THE AMOUNTS OF PROPANE, BUTANES AND NATURAL GASOLINE, OR ETHANE, PROPANE, BUTANES AND NATURAL GASOLINE RECOVERED FROM THE NATURAL GAS IN THE EXISTING GAS TREATMENT PLANT, WHEREIN IN ONE EMBODIMENT THE EXISTING NATURAL GAS TREATMENT PLANT INCLUDES A REFRIGERATED FEED COOLER, A SEPARATOR AND A STABILIZER AND THE RETROFITTED UNIT COMPRISES AN NGL ABSORBER, A REFRIGERATED LEAN SOLVENT COOLER AND A LEAN SOLVENT REGENERATOR; AND WHEREIN IN A SECOND EMBODIMENT THE EXISTING SIMPLE REFRIGERATED GAS TREATMENT PLANT ADDITIONALLY INCLUDES AN NGL FRACTIONATION TRAIN THAT SEPARATES THE RECOVERED NGL INTO SALEABLE FRACTIONS AND WHEREIN THE NGL FRACTIONATION TRAIN INCLUDES A DEBUTANIZER THAT PRODUCES ALL OR PART OF THE LEAN SOLVENT UTILIZED IN THE RETROFITTED UNIT WHICH COMPRISES AN NGL ABSORBER AND A REFRIGERATED SOLVENT COOLER; AND WHEREIN THE NATURAL GAS TREATMENT PROCESS UTILIZES A SOLVENT THAT IS PRE-SATURATED WITH LIGHTER UNDESIRABLE COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE OVERHEAD STREAM FROM THE NGL ABSORBER.