NOVELTY - Separation of gas stream containing methane, 2C and 3C components, and heavier hydrocarbon into volatile residue gas and less volatile fraction, includes dividing cooled gas stream into a first stream which is cooled, expanded to lower pressure, and supplied to distillation column at first mid-column feed position; and a second stream which is expanded to lower pressure and supplied to a distillation column at a second mid-column feed position.    USE - For separating gas stream containing methane, 2C components, 3C components, and heavier hydrocarbon components into a volatile residue gas fraction and a less volatile fraction.    ADVANTAGE - The novel process provides improved recovery of 3C and heavier hydrocarbon components per amount of utility consumption required to operate the process. It has reduced power requirements for compression and recompression, reduced power requirements for external refrigeration, and/or reduced energy requirements for tower reboiler.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Separation of a gas stream containing methane, 2C components, 3C components, and heavier hydrocarbon components into a volatile residue gas fraction and a less volatile fraction containing a major portion of 2C components, 3C components, and heavier hydrocarbon components includes cooling gas stream under pressure; dividing the cooled stream into first and second streams; cooling and expanding the first stream to lower pressure where it is further cooled; supplying the expanded cooled first stream to a distillation column at a first mid-column feed position; expanding the second stream to the lower pressure and supplying it to the distillation column at a second mid-column feed position; withdrawing a vapor distillation stream from a region of the distillation column below the expanded second stream and cooling the vapor distillation stream to condense part of it, forming a residual vapor stream and a condensed stream; supplying a portion of condensed stream to the distillation column at a top feed position; and withdrawing an overhead vapor stream from an upper region of the distillation column, directing the overhead vapor stream into heat exchange relation with the vapor distillation stream and heating the overhead distillation stream, and discharging a portion of heated overhead vapor stream as the volatile residue gas fraction. The quantities and temperatures of the feed streams to the distillation column are effective to maintain the overhead temperature of distillation column at a temperature where the major portions of the components in the less volatile fraction are recovered.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a gas separation apparatus for use in the above method comprising a first cooling unit to cool the gas under pressure, a first expansion valve to receive a portion of cooled stream under pressure and to expand it to a lower pressure, and a distillation column to receive and separate the further cooled stream into an overhead vapor stream and a relatively less volatile fraction. A dividing mechanism is connected to the first cooling unit to divide the cooled stream into first and second streams. A second cooling unit is connected to the dividing mechanism to cool the first stream to condense it. A second expansion valve (12) is connected to the second cooling unit to expand the first stream to lower pressure. The second expansion valve is connected to the distillation column to supply the expanded cooled first stream to the distillation column. The first expansion valve (19) is connected to the dividing mechanism to receive and expand the second stream to lower pressure. It is further connected to the distillation column to supply the expanded second stream to the distillation column. A vapor-withdrawing unit is connected to the distillation column to receive a vapor distillation stream. A heat-exchange unit is connected to the vapor-withdrawing unit to receive and cool the vapor distillation stream to condense part of it. A separating unit is connected to the heat-exchange unit to receive and separate the partially condensed distillation stream into a residual vapor stream and a condensed stream. The separating unit is further connected to the distillation column to supply at least a portion of the condensed stream to the distillation column. The distillation column is further connected to the heat-exchange unit to direct a portion of the overhead vapor stream into heat exchange relation with the vapor distillation stream. A control unit regulates the quantities and temperatures of feed streams to the distillation column.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a natural gas processing plant, as used in the above method.    Heat exchangers (10, 13, 15)    Separators (11, 14)    Expansion valves (12, 16, 19)    Work expansion machine (17)    Compressors (18, 25)