Alternative two column hru design with rich reflux

Abstract

The invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for removing heavies from natural gas. Natural gas and an external rich reflux gas feed are processed in a single column refluxed absorber. A bottoms stream is routed to a first heat exchanger and then to a stabilizer column where an overhead stream from the stabilizer column is routed through a condenser for partial separation into an overhead stream. A rich solvent may be introduced to the stabilizer column. The overhead stream is routed through a condenser for partial separation into a stabilizer reflux and a second overhead stream lights. The second overhead stream lights is routed to a heat exchanger and then routed to a partial condenser where the stream is separated into a heavies rich reflux stream, a distillate stream and heavies treated natural gas stream. The rich reflux is routed through a heat exchanger and the rich reflux is pumped to the single column refluxed absorber to be introduced into the single column refluxed absorber as the external rich reflux gas feed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for natural gas processing, the method comprising:
 introducing a natural gas feed to a single column refluxed absorber;   introducing an external rich reflux gas feed to the single column refluxed absorber;   processing the natural gas feed and the external rich reflux gas feed in the single column refluxed absorber to produce a first bottoms stream and a first overhead stream, wherein the first bottoms stream and the first overhead stream are separate streams upon expulsion from the single column refluxed absorber; and   outputting the first bottoms stream from the single column refluxed absorber to a heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first bottoms stream is output from the heat exchanger to a stabilizer column. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first bottoms stream is processed in the stabilizer column to produce a second bottoms stream and a second overhead stream. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a heavies rich reflux stream is formed from the second overhead stream. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the heavies rich reflux stream is pumped to the single column refluxed absorber to be introduced into the single column refluxed absorber as the external rich reflux gas feed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a heavies rich reflux stream is formed using the first bottoms stream downstream from the heat exchanger, the heavies rich reflux stream being introduced into the single column refluxed absorber as the external rich reflux gas feed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first overhead stream is output from the single column refluxed absorber through a condenser for partial separation of the first overhead stream into heavies-treated natural gas. 
     
     
         8 . A system for processing natural gas, the system comprising:
 a single column refluxed absorber comprising a natural gas feed inlet at a lower elevation than an external rich reflux gas feed inlet, the single column refluxed absorber configured to expulse a bottoms stream; and   a heat exchanger downstream from the single column refluxed absorber, such that the bottoms stream is output from the single column refluxed absorber into the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a stabilizer column downstream from the first heat exchanger, such that the bottoms stream is output from the heat exchanger into the stabilizer column, the stabilizer column configured to produce a natural gas by processing the bottoms stream.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the natural gas is further produced by processing a rich solvent. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein a rich reflux is produced downstream from the stabilizer column using the natural gas. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the rich reflux is introduced as an external rich reflux to the single column refluxed absorber using the external rich reflux gas feed inlet. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein an external rich reflux is pumped into the single column refluxed absorber using the external rich reflux gas feed inlet. 
     
     
         14 . A system for processing natural gas, the system comprising:
 a single column refluxed absorber comprising a natural gas feed inlet at a lower elevation than an external rich reflux gas feed inlet, the single column refluxed absorber configured to expulse a bottoms stream via a bottoms outlet, the bottoms stream produced by processing natural gas received via the natural gas feed inlet and an external rich reflux received via the external rich reflux gas feed inlet; and   a heat exchanger downstream from the bottoms outlet of the single column refluxed absorber, such that the bottoms stream is received by the first heat exchanger from the bottoms outlet of the single column refluxed absorber.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein a stabilizer column is downstream from the heat exchanger, the stabilizer column configured to receive the bottoms stream from the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the stabilizer column is configured to produce a natural gas by processing the bottoms stream. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein a rich reflux is formed from the natural gas. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the rich reflux is input as the external rich reflux to the single column refluxed absorber. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein a heavies treated natural gas is formed from the natural gas. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the natural gas is further produced using a rich solvent.