A process for producing liquefied natural gas, in which natural gas feed having methane and higher hydrocarbons including benzene is cooled down to a first temperature level in a first cooling step using a first mixed coolant and then subjected to a countercurrent absorption using an absorption liquid to form a methane-enriched and benzene-depleted gas fraction, wherein a portion of the gas fraction is cooled down to a second temperature level in a second cooling step using a second mixed coolant and liquefied to give the liquefied natural gas. In the plant proposed, the first and second mixed coolants are low in propane or free of propane, and the absorption liquid is formed from a further portion of the gas fraction which is condensed above the countercurrent absorption and returned to the countercurrent absorption without pumping. The present invention likewise provides a corresponding plant.

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.

A heat exchanger having multiple plates which are mutually parallel and parallel to a longitudinal direction, the exchanger having a length measured in the longitudinal direction, the plates being stacked with spacing so as to define a first series of passages for the flow, in a general flow direction parallel to the longitudinal direction, of at least a first refrigerant fluid and a second refrigerant fluid, at least one passage of the first series being defined between two adjacent plates.

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.

Described herein is a method of removing refrigerant from a natural gas liquefaction system in which vaporized mixed refrigerant is withdrawn from the closed-loop refrigeration circuit and introduced into a distillation column so as to be separated into an overhead vapor enriched in methane and a bottoms liquid enriched in heavier components. Overhead vapor is withdrawn from the distillation column to form a methane enriched stream that is removed from the liquefaction system, and bottoms liquid is reintroduced from the distillation column into the closed-loop refrigeration circuit. Also described are methods of altering the rate of production in a natural gas liquefaction system in which refrigerant is removed as described above, and a natural gas liquefaction systems in which such methods can be carried out.

Disclosed herein a cooling system includes a refrigerant circulator that a refrigerant is circulated, wherein the refrigerant circulator includes a first compressor configured to pressurize the refrigerant in gaseous state; a first cooler configured to cool the refrigerant pressurized by the first compressor; a first gas-liquid separator configured to separate the refrigerant cooled by the first cooler into a first refrigerant flow of a gas component and a second refrigerant flow of a liquid component; a second compressor configured to pressurize the first refrigerant flow; a second cooler configured to cool the first refrigerant flow pressurized by the second compressor; a second gas-liquid separator configured to separate the refrigerant cooled by the second cooler into a third refrigerant flow of a gas component and a fourth refrigerant flow of a liquid component; a first expansion member configured to decompress the fourth refrigerant flow.

The present invention relates to a refrigerant composition. According to the invention it is envisioned that the composition comprises comprising an inert gas selected from nitrogen, argon, neon and a mixture thereof, and a mixture of at least two C.sub.1-C.sub.5 hydrocarbons. The present invention further relates to the use of the refrigerant composition in a method for liquefying a gaseous substance, particularly hydrogen or helium.

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.

A natural gas liquefaction system and method for effectively and efficiently removing heavy hydrocarbons and converting natural gas into liquefied natural gas. Natural gas streams entering the system may consist of varied gas compositions, pressures, and temperatures. In embodiments the system may comprise a natural gas (NG)-to-liquefied natural gas (LNG) portion and a closed-loop refrigeration portion comprising a closed-loop single mixed refrigerant system. In other embodiments the system may comprise an NG-to-LNG portion and a closed-loop refrigeration portion comprising a closed-loop gaseous nitrogen expansion refrigeration system. All embodiments utilize an integrated heat exchanger with cold-end and warm-end sections and integrated multi-stage compressor and expander configurations (e.g. compander) in order to increase overall operation flexibility and efficiency. This optimized method and system is capable of more efficiently producing a liquefied natural gas product at a desired capacity using a minimum amount of equipment and a modularized design to reduce construction costs.

This specification relates to operating industrial facilities, for example, crude oil refining facilities or other industrial facilities that include operating plants that process natural gas or recover natural gas liquids.