Systems and methods are provided for increasing the efficiency of liquefied natural gas production and heavy hydrocarbon distillation. Air within an LNG production facility can be utilized as a heat source to provide heat to HHC liquid for distillation in a HHC distillation system. The mechanism of heat transfer from the air can be natural convection. Heat provided by natural gas, or compressed natural gas, can be also used for HHC distillation. Various other liquids can further be used to transfer heat to HHC liquid for distillation.

A method for improved operation of a natural gas liquids stabilizer column, particularly a small-scale, is provided. The method can include the steps of: introducing a first feed stream comprising heavy hydrocarbons and natural gas to a stabilizer column to produce a top gas and a bottoms liquid, wherein the top gas has a higher concentration of natural gas as compared to the first feed stream, and the bottoms liquid has a higher concentration of heavy hydrocarbons as compared to the first feed stream; introducing a second feed stream into the stabilizer column, wherein the second feed stream has a higher concentration of natural gas as compared to the first feed stream, wherein the second feed stream is at a warmer temperature than the first feed stream when introduced into the stabilizer column, wherein the second feed stream is a gaseous stream; withdrawing the top gas from a top portion of the stabilizer column; withdrawing the bottoms liquid from a bottom portion of the stabilizer column; and sending at least a portion of the bottoms liquid to a liquid storage tank.

The invention relates to a process (100) for producing liquefied natural gas using a feedstock mixture that contains at least methane, one or more components boiling at a temperature lower than methane and one or more hydrocarbons boiling at a temperature higher than methane, wherein the hydrocarbon(s) boiling at a temperature higher than methane comprise one or more hydrocarbons freezing at a higher temperature, with a freezing point higher than −50° C. According to the invention the feedstock mixture is fed into a pressure swing adsorption process (10), in which a first fraction containing methane and a second fraction containing methane are formed, the first fraction containing methane contains, in addition to the methane, at least the predominant portion of the components of the feedstock mixture that boil more readily than methane and is low in or free from the hydrocarbons boiling less readily than methane, and the second fraction containing methane contains, in addition to the methane, at least the predominant portion of the hydrocarbons from the feedstock that boil less readily than methane and is low in or free from the components that boil more readily than methane, and the first fraction containing methane, or a portion thereof, is supplied for liquefaction (20). The invention also relates to a corresponding plant.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). In one implementation, a solvent is injected into a feed of natural gas at a solvent injection point. A mixed feed is produced from a dispersal of the solvent into the feed of natural gas. The mixed feed contains heavy components. A chilled feed is produced by chilling the mixed feed. The chilled feed includes a vapor and a condensed liquid. The condensed liquid contains a fouling portion of the heavy components condensed by the solvent during chilling. The liquid containing the fouling portion of the heavy components is separated from the vapor. The vapor is directed into a feed chiller heat exchanger following separation of the liquid containing the fouling portion of the heavy components from the vapor, such that the vapor being directed into feed chiller heat exchanger is free of freezing components.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for processing liquefied natural gas (LNG). In one implementation, a dry feed gas is received. The dry feed gas is chilled with clean vapor from a heavies removal column to form a chilled feed gas. The chilled feed gas is partially condensed into a vapor phase and a liquid phase. The liquid phase retains freezing components. The freezing components are extracted using a reflux stream in the heavies removal column. The freezing components are removed as a condensate. The vapor phase is compressed into a clean feed gas. The clean feed gas is free of the freezing components for downstream liquefaction.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion or four-pinion integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas containing feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas containing stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion, three-turbine integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion, three-turbine integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas containing feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion or four-pinion integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas containing feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.

A system and method for liquefaction of natural gas using two distinct refrigeration circuits having compositionally different working fluids and operating at different temperature levels is provided. The turbomachinery associated with the liquefaction system are driven by a single three-pinion or four-pinion integral gear machine with customized pairing arrangements. The system and method of natural gas liquefaction further includes the conditioning of a lower pressure natural gas containing feed stream to produce a purified, compressed natural gas stream at a pressure equal to or above the critical pressure of natural gas and substantially free of heavy hydrocarbons to be liquefied.