Methods and systems for liquefying natural gas by: cooling and liquefying a natural gas feed stream via indirect heat exchange with at least a first cold refrigerant stream to form a first liquefied natural gas stream and a warmed gaseous refrigerant stream; flashing and separating the first liquefied natural gas stream to form a liquefied natural gas product stream and at least a first flash gas stream; combining and compressing the first flash gas stream and the warmed gaseous refrigerant stream to form a compressed refrigerant stream; and expanding at least a first portion of the compressed refrigerant stream to form the first cold refrigerant stream; wherein the natural gas feed stream is kept separate from and is not combined with either the first flash gas stream or the compressed refrigerant stream.