Natural gas processing and systems
The present disclosure provides natural gas and petrochemical processing systems including oxidative coupling of methane reactor systems that integrate process inputs and outputs to cooperatively utilize different inputs and outputs of the various systems in the production of higher hydrocarbons from natural gas and other hydrocarbon feedstocks.
1. A method of producing hydrocarbons having two or more carbon atoms (C 2+ ), the method comprising:
(a) directing a first feed stream comprising methane into an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reactor, wherein the OCM reactor is configured to generate C 2+ compounds from said methane;
(b) performing one or more OCM reactions in the OCM reactor using said methane to produce a first product stream comprising one or more C 2+ compounds;
(c) directing a second feed stream comprising saturated hydrocarbons to a steam cracker to produce a second product stream comprising unsaturated hydrocarbons including ethylene and propylene, wherein a ratio of ethylene to propylene is less than 2:1; and
(d) directing at least a portion of said first product stream and said second product stream to an integrated fractionation system to produce one or more hydrocarbon streams comprising a C 2+ compound.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying said first product stream prior to step (d).
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: prior to step (d), subjecting said first product stream to pressure swing adsorption (PSA) to generate at least a first stream and a second stream, wherein said first stream has a lower concentration of C 2+ compounds than said second stream; and directing said second stream to the integrated fractionation system.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said first stream comprises methane and impurities.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: separating said first stream to generate a methane stream and an impurities stream.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: directing at least a portion of said methane stream to said OCM reactor.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the impurities comprise argon (Ar), hydrogen (H 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrogen (N 2 ), or any combination thereof.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least 95% of the impurities are removed in the PSA.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said one or more C 2+ compounds are hydrocarbons having from two to five carbon atoms.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the C 2+ compounds comprise ethylene.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein said PSA comprises:
(a) introducing said first product stream comprising said one or more C 2+ compounds and non-C 2+ impurities into a vessel at a first pressure, wherein the vessel comprises an adsorbent medium, wherein upon introducing said first product stream into said vessel said first product stream is brought into contact with said adsorbent medium; and
(b) changing the pressure in the vessel to a second pressure to release (i) at least a subset of said one or more C 2+ compounds or (ii) said non-C 2+ impurities from said adsorbent medium, thereby separating the first product stream into at least a first stream comprising said non-C 2+ impurities and a second stream comprising at least the subset of said one or more C 2+ compounds.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second pressure is less than the first pressure.