BigPatents India

1. A process for the recovery of components heavier than methane from natural gas, (a) cooling a natural gas feed to provide a cooled natural gas feed and introducing the cooled natural gas feed into an absorber column at a first location therein; (b) withdrawing from the absorber column a first overhead vapor stream depleted in components heavier than methane and a bottoms stream enriched in components heavier than methane; (c) introducing a methane-rich reflux stream at a second location in the absorber column above the first location; (d) separating the bottoms stream into a stream enriched in methane and one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane; and (e) introducing an absorber liquid comprising components heavier than ethane into the absorber column at a location between the first location and the second location. 2. The process of Claim 1 which further comprises combining all or a portion of any of the one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane in (d) with the methane-rich reflux stream in (c). 3. The process of Claim 1 which further comprises withdrawing all or a portion of any of the one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane in (d) as a product stream. 4. The process of Claim 1 wherein the natural gas feed is at a pressure above 600 psia. 5. The process of Claim 1 wherein the absorber liquid comprises components obtained from any of the one or more streams enriched in components heavier than ethane in (d).