Method and apparatus for separating hydrocarbons

1. A method for separating hydrocarbons, wherein feed liquefied natural gas containing methane, ethane, and a hydrocarbon having 3 or more carbon atoms, including at least propane, is separated into a liquid fraction enriched in methane and ethane and a liquid fraction enriched in the hydrocarbon having 3 or more carbon atoms, wherein the method comprises:

(a) heating the feed liquefied natural gas in a heat exchanger to partially vaporize the feed liquefied natural gas to obtain a vapor-liquid two-phase stream;

(b) supplying the whole or a liquid phase of the vapor-liquid two-phase stream to a first distillation column and separating the supplied whole or liquid phase of the vapor-liquid two-phase stream into a first overhead vapor enriched in methane and a first bottom liquid enriched in ethane and the hydrocarbon having 3 or more carbon atoms by the first distillation column;

(c) separating the first bottom liquid into a second overhead vapor enriched in ethane and a second bottom liquid enriched in the hydrocarbon having 3 or more carbon atoms by a second distillation column;

(d) cooling the second overhead vapor to condense the whole or a part of the second overhead vapor to obtain a condensed liquid;

(e) dividing the condensed liquid into two or more streams, and obtaining a mixed stream of one of the divided streams and the first overhead vapor;

(f) totally condensing the mixed stream obtained from step (e) by exchanging heat with the feed liquefied natural gas in the heat exchanger used in step (a), to obtain a liquid stream without compressing the mixed stream by a compressor, wherein a condensing temperature of the mixed stream including the first overhead vapor is higher than a condensing temperature of the first overhead vapor by mixing the first overhead vapor with one of the divided streams of the condensed liquid in step (e) to lower an operating pressure of the first distillation column;

(g) discharging the whole or a part of the liquid stream obtained from step (f), as the liquid fraction enriched in methane and ethane;

(h) supplying another of the two or more streams obtained by dividing the condensed liquid in step (e) to the second distillation column as reflux liquid; and

(i) discharging the second bottom liquid as the liquid fraction enriched in the hydrocarbon having 3 or more carbon atoms.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second overhead vapor is subcooled in step (d).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the liquid stream obtained from step (f) is discharged as the liquid fraction enriched in methane and ethane in step (g); and wherein

the method comprises:

(j) supplying a remainder of the liquid stream obtained from step (f) to the first distillation column as reflux liquid.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

(k) performing vapor-liquid separation of the vapor-liquid two-phase stream obtained from step (a), supplying a liquid phase obtained from the vapor-liquid separation to the first distillation column in step (b), and mixing a vapor phase obtained from the vapor-liquid separation into the first overhead vapor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a heating medium is cooled using cold heat of fluid inside the first distillation column, and the cooling in step (d) is performed using the cooled heating medium.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling in step (d) is performed by giving cold heat of fluid inside the first distillation column directly to the second overhead vapor by heat exchange.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling in step (d) is performed using an external refrigerant.

8. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:

heating the vapor-liquid two-phase stream obtained from step (a) before step (b) using another heat exchanger which is separate from the heat exchanger used in step (a).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein in step (f), a condensing temperature of the mixed stream including the first overhead vapor is higher than a condensing temperature of the first overhead vapor by mixing the first overhead vapor with the one of the divided streams of the condensed liquid in step (e) to lower an operating pressure of the first distillation column to be lower than 3206 kPaA.