One of 3 common methods to remove nitrogen from natural gas. In solvent recovery processes, the hydrocarbons in the feed stream are absorbed by a chemical solvent and the nitrogen that remains is dispersed by vent. The hydrocarbons are recovered from the solvent through a series of flash operations. Because the process requires that the gas stream be cooled to only -30 degrees, effective separation usually begins within 2 or 3 hours after start-up. In addition, solvent recovery processes provide the benefit of handling one of the problems commonly associated with nitrogen rejection: the presence of natural gas liquid elements in the feed stream. After nitrogen has been removed, the presence of these additional heavy hydrocarbons usually results in a stream with a hydrocarbon dew point that exceeds pipeline requirements. While other processes require an additional plant to remove the natural gas liquids, the solvent process conveniently handles both the separation of the nitrogen and the NGL’s in a single plant. Of course, the recovered liquids can also be sold, enhancing the overall revenue stream of a project.