Removing contaminants from natural gas

Abstract

A process for removing contaminants from a natural gas feed stream including water and sour species is provided, which process comprises the steps of cooling the natural gas feed stream in a first vessel ( 12 ) to a first operating temperature at which hydrates are formed and removing from the first vessel ( 12 ) a stream of dehydrated gas ( 34 ); and cooling the dehydrated gas in a second vessel ( 14 ) to a second operating temperature at which solids of the sour species are formed or at which the sour species dissolve in a liquid and removing from the second vessel ( 14 ) a stream of dehydrated sweetened gas ( 62 ).

1 . A process for removing contaminants from a natural gas feed stream containing water and a sour species comprising: 
 dehydrating the natural gas feed stream in a first vessel;    removing from the first vessel a stream of dehydrated gas;    cooling the dehydrated gas in a second vessel to a second operating temperature at which solids of the sour species are formed or at which the sour species dissolve in a liquid; and    removing from the second vessel a stream of dehydrated sweetened gas.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein dehydrating the natural gas feed stream comprises cooling the natural gas feed stream to a first operating temperature at which hydrates are formed.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein cooling the natural gas feed stream comprises introducing the natural gas feed stream into the first vessel at a temperature that is below the first operating temperature.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein cooling the dehydrated gas comprises introducing the dehydrated gas into the second vessel at a temperature that is below the second operating temperature.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein cooling the natural gas feed stream comprises introducing the natural gas feed stream into the first vessel at a temperature that is below the first operating temperature, and cooling the dehydrated gas comprises introducing the dehydrated gas into the second vessel at a temperature that is below the second operating temperature.