Kyle Ted Cuellar

6526777, Mar 4, 2003

Apr 20, 2001

09/839907

Roy E. Campbell - late of Midland TX
John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX
Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX

Elcor Corporation - Dallas TX

F25J 302

62621, 62625

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with processing natural gas to recover natural gas liquids (NGL) is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is taken from one of the streams in the NGL recovery plant and cooled under pressure to condense it. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the NGL recovery plant to provide some of the cooling required to condense the natural gas stream. The condensed natural gas stream is expanded to an intermediate pressure and supplied to a mid-column feed point on a distillation column. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas, and is routed to the NGL recovery plant so that these heavier hydrocarbons can be recovered in the NGL product. The overhead vapor from the distillation column is cooled and condensed, and a portion of the condensed stream is supplied to a top feed point on the distillation column to serve as reflux. A second portion of the condensed stream is expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

6889523, May 10, 2005

Mar 7, 2003

10/384038

John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US
Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US

ElkCorp - Dallas TX

F25J001/00
F25J003/00

62613, 62621

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with processing natural gas to recover natural gas liquids (NGL) is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is taken from one of the streams in the NGL recovery plant and cooled under pressure to condense it. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the NGL recovery plant to provide some of the cooling required to condense the natural gas stream. A portion of the condensed stream is expanded to an intermediate pressure and then used to provide some of the cooling required to condense the natural gas stream, and thereafter routed to the NGL recovery plant so that any heavier hydrocarbons it contains can be recovered in the NGL product. The remaining portion of the condensed stream is expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

7191617, Mar 20, 2007

Aug 10, 2005

11/201358

Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US
John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Joe T. Lynch - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 3/00

62628, 62630, 62632

A process for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbon components from a hydrocarbon gas stream is disclosed. The stream is cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it and is thereafter expanded to the fractionation tower pressure and supplied to the fractionation tower at a first mid-column feed position. The second stream is expanded to the tower pressure and is then supplied to the column at a second mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the second stream and is then directed into heat exchange relation with the tower overhead vapor stream to cool the distillation stream and condense at least a part of it, forming a condensed stream. At least a portion of the condensed stream is directed to the fractionation tower as its top feed. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the fractionation tower are effective to maintain the overhead temperature of the fractionation tower at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered.

7204100, Apr 17, 2007

May 4, 2004

10/840072

John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Joe T. Lynch - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US
Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 1/00
F25J 3/00

62612, 62620, 62613

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with producing a liquid stream containing predominantly hydrocarbons heavier than methane is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is partially cooled and divided into first and second streams. The first stream is further cooled to condense substantially all of it, expanded to an intermediate pressure, and then supplied to a distillation column at a first mid-column feed position. The second stream is also expanded to intermediate pressure and is then supplied to the column at a second lower mid-column feed position. A distillation stream is withdrawn from the column below the feed point of the second stream and is cooled to condense at least a part of it, forming a reflux stream. At least a portion of the reflux stream is directed to the distillation column as its top feed. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas.

7210311, May 1, 2007

Jul 22, 2005

11/188297

John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US
Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 1/00
F25J 3/00

62611, 62612, 62620, 62621

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with producing a liquid stream containing predominantly hydrocarbons heavier than methane is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is partially cooled, expanded to an intermediate pressure, and supplied to a distillation column. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas. The residual gas stream from the distillation column is compressed to a higher intermediate pressure, cooled under pressure to condense it, and then expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

7216507, May 15, 2007

Jun 3, 2005

11/144728

Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US
John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 3/00

62620, 62630

A process and apparatus for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbons from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream is disclosed. The LNG feed stream is divided into two portions. The first portion is supplied to a fractionation column at an upper mid-column feed point. The second portion is directed in heat exchange relation with a warmer distillation stream rising from the fractionation stages of the column, whereby this portion of the LNG feed stream is partially heated and the distillation stream is totally condensed. The condensed distillation stream is divided into a “lean” LNG product stream and a reflux stream, whereupon the reflux stream is supplied to the column at a top column feed position. The partially heated portion of the LNG feed stream is heated further to partially or totally vaporize it and thereafter supplied to the column at a lower mid-column feed position. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the column are effective to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered in the bottom liquid product from the column.

7565815, Jul 28, 2009

Feb 16, 2007

11/707787

John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US
Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 1/00
F25J 3/00

62613, 62620, 62625, 62631

A process for liquefying natural gas in conjunction with producing a liquid stream containing predominantly hydrocarbons heavier than methane is disclosed. In the process, the natural gas stream to be liquefied is partially cooled, expanded to an intermediate pressure, and supplied to a distillation column. The bottom product from this distillation column preferentially contains the majority of any hydrocarbons heavier than methane that would otherwise reduce the purity of the liquefied natural gas. The residual gas stream from the distillation column is compressed to a higher intermediate pressure, cooled under pressure to condense it, and then expanded to low pressure to form the liquefied natural gas stream.

7631516, Dec 15, 2009

May 16, 2007

11/749268

Kyle T. Cuellar - Katy TX, US
John D. Wilkinson - Midland TX, US
Hank M. Hudson - Midland TX, US

Ortloff Engineers, Ltd. - Midland TX

F25J 3/00

62620, 62628, 62630

A process and apparatus for the recovery of ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, and heavier hydrocarbons from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream is disclosed. The LNG feed stream is divided into two portions. The first portion is supplied to a fractionation column at an upper mid-column feed point. The second portion is directed in heat exchange relation with a warmer distillation stream rising from the fractionation stages of the column, whereby this portion of the LNG feed stream is partially vaporized and the distillation stream is totally condensed. The condensed distillation stream is divided into a “lean” LNG product stream and a reflux stream, whereupon the reflux stream is supplied to the column at a top column feed position. The partially vaporized portion of the LNG feed stream is separated into vapor and liquid streams which are thereafter supplied to the column at lower mid-column feed positions. The quantities and temperatures of the feeds to the column are effective to maintain the column overhead temperature at a temperature whereby the major portion of the desired components is recovered in the bottom liquid product from the column.