Separating nitrogen from methane in the production of LNG
US6758060B2 · kind B2 · utility
15Cited by
19References
34Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 14, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 14, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S62/927
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Substantially all the nitrogen is removed from natural gas during the production of LNG, without producing mixed nitrogen/methane streams needing recycle and further processing, or requiring compression for burning as fuel, by operating both the high pressure and the low pressure multistage distillation towers of a two column cryogenic nitrogen rejection unit to produce acceptable liquefied natural gas as tower bottom products, while the low pressure tower is further operated to produce as an overhead a gas steam containing no more than about 1% methane for safe venting to the atmosphere.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.