METHOD OF TREATING NATURAL GAS Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: processes of treatment of natural gas prior to its transportation; may be used in gas and oil industry. SUBSTANCE: method of treating natural gas containing methanol includes stage separation with cooling of gas flow between the stages of separation, introduction of inhibitor of hydrating; withdrawal from separators of liquid mixture; separation of liquid mixture into hydrocarbon and water-methanol phases; supply of the latter for contacting with gas to preceding separation stages; withdrawal from separators of water-methanol phase produced after contacting with gas and regeneration from it of methanol; returning of regenerated methanol to gas flow. In so doing, inhibitor of hydrating is introduced in the amount determined by the formula of relationship into hydrocarbon liquid taken from the first stage of separation; cooling of produced mixture to minus 10-24 C; supplying for counterflow contacting with separated gas to the last stage of separation; combination of liquid phase from this stage and from liquid phases from intermediate stages of separation; heating of combined flow to minus 1-7 C and separation into hydrocarbon phase which is directed to the suppliers and also to gas and water-methanol phases which are directed to gas flow running to percentage stages of separation. EFFECT: reduced negative subsequences of use of methanol for preventing of hydrating. 1 cl, 1 dwg, 1 tbl