Processes for stabilizing a liquid hydrocarbon stream
One or more processes for stabilizing a hydrocarbon stream. An unstabilized hydrocarbon stream comprising C5+ hydrocarbons and including some butane, propane and ethane, may be passed to a first separation zone. The first separation zone has an increased operating pressure so that a residue gas stream recovered from the first separation zone requires minimal compression for further processing. A bottoms stream form the first separation zone is passed to a second, lower pressure separation zone which provides an NGL stream and a C5+ liquid hydrocarbon stream that is stabilized.
1. A process for stabilizing a liquid hydrocarbon stream, the process comprising:
stripping a residue gas stream from an un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream in a first separation zone, the first separation zone operating at a pressure between 2,482 kPa and 3,034 kPa and providing a bottoms liquid stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons;
compressing the residue gas stream in a compression zone to provide a compressed residue gas stream having a pressure between 6,412 kPa and 7,377 kPa, the compressed residue gas stream comprising light hydrocarbons; and
separating the bottoms liquid stream in a second separation zone operating at a pressure between 993 kPa and 1,489 kPa, the second separation zone being operated at a lower pressure than the first separation zone, the second separation zone providing a C3/C4 liquid product stream and a stabilized C5+ liquid hydrocarbon stream.
2. The process of claim 1 further comprising: heating a portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream before the portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream is passed to the first separation zone.
3. The process of claim 1 further comprising: cooling the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone before the bottoms liquid stream is separated in the second separation zone.
4. The process of claim 1 further comprising: heating a portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream before stripping the residue gas stream from the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream.
5. The process of claim 4 wherein the portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream is heated with the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone.
6. The process of claim 1 further comprising: splitting the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream into a first portion and a second portion before stripping the residue gas stream from the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream, wherein both the first portion and the second portion are passed to the first separation zone.
7. The process of claim 6 further comprising: heating the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream before passing the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream to the first separation zone.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream is heated with the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone.
9. The process of claim 8 further comprising: cooling the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone after the bottoms liquid stream has heated the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream.
10. The process of claim 1 further comprising: filtering the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream upstream of the first separation zone.
11. A process for stabilizing a liquid hydrocarbon stream, the process comprising:
passing an un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream to a first separation zone, the first separation zone being operated at a pressure between 2,482 kPa and 3,034 kPa and configured to separate the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream into a residue gas stream and a bottoms liquid stream comprising C3+ hydrocarbons;
passing the residue gas stream to a compression zone configured to compress the residue gas stream and provide a compressed residue gas stream having a pressure between 6,412 kPa and 7,377 kPa, the compressed residue gas stream comprising methane, ethane, and propane; and
passing the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone to a second separation zone, the second separation zone being operated at a pressure between 993 kPa and 1,489 kPa, which is lower than pressure in the first separation zone, the second separation zone configured to separate the bottoms liquid stream a C3/C4 stream and a stabilized C5+ liquid hydrocarbon stream.
12. The process of claim 11 further comprising:
splitting the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream into a first portion and a second portion; and
passing the first portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream to the first separation zone;
heating the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream and then passing a heated second portion to the first separation zone.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the second portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream is heated with the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone.
14. The process of claim 12 wherein the second portion comprises between 60-70% by volume of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream.
15. The process of claim 11 further comprising: heating at least a portion of the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream upstream of the first separation zone with the bottoms liquid stream from the first separation zone.
16. The process of claim 11 further comprising: cooling the bottoms liquid stream upstream of the second separation zone.
17. The process of claim 11 further comprising: filtering the un-stabilized hydrocarbon stream upstream of the first separation zone.