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Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF MAINTAINING INLET AND OUTLET NATURAL GAS STREAM AT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL B.T.U. VALUES IN A NATURAL GAS STREAM TRANSMISSION SYSTEM HAVING A LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS STORAGE FACILITY AND WHEREIN THE INLET GAS CONTAINS NITROGEN, A MAJOR PROPORTION OF METHANE, AND HIGHER HYDROCARBONS OF C2 AND ABOVE, THE IMPROVED STEPS OF: COOLING THE INLET GAS STREAM TO A FIRST TEMPERATURE LEVEL TO EFFECT LIQUEFACTION OF A CERTAIN PROPORTION OF THE HIGHER HYDROCARBONS THEREIN WITHOUT EFFECTING LIQUEFACTION OF THE BULK OF THE METHANE IN THE SAME; REMOVING THE LIQUEFIED HIGHER HYDROCARBONS FROM THE SAID INLET GAS STREAM; THEN COOLING THE REMAINDER OF THE INLET GAS STREAM TO A SECOND TEMPERATURE LEVEL TO EFFECT LIQUEFACTION THEREOF AND PRO DUCING A LIQUEFIED GAS PRODUCT; CONFINING SAID LIQUIFIED GAS PRODUCT IN A STORAGE AREA UNDER CONDITIONS PERMITTING A CERTAIN PROPORTION OF SAID LIQUIFIED GAS PRODUCT TO VAPORIZE; DIRECTING THE VAPORIZED NATURAL GAS OUT OF SAID STORAGE AREA TO FORM AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID OUTLET GAS STREAM; AND ADDING HIGHER HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID CERTAIN PROPORTION THEREOF TO THE OUTLET GAS STREAM AT A RATE TO MAINTAIN THE B.T.U. VALUE OF THE OUTLET GAS STREAM IN PREDETERMINED RELATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO THE B.T.U. VALUE OF THE INLET GAS STREAM.