NOVELTY - An inlet gas stream (1) containing methane and lighter components and heavier hydrocarbons is separated into a more volatile gas fraction on by controlling temperatures of first and second fractionation tower reflux streams, lower fractionation tower feed stream (12), and stripper bottoms stream such that 2C components, 3C components and heavier hydrocarbons is recovered in the tower bottoms stream.    USE - For separating an inlet gas stream containing methane and lighter components, 2C and 3C components and heavier hydrocarbons into a more volatile gas fraction    ADVANTAGE - The invented method achieves a recover of greater than or equal to95% of ethane and propane and heavier components, thus creating adequate reflux to recover ethane and lowers energy consumption.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Separation of an inlet gas stream containing methane and lighter components, 2C components, 3C components and heavier hydrocarbons into a more volatile gas fraction containing all of the methane and lighter components and a less volatile hydrocarbon fraction involves splitting a feed gas stream into first and second feed streams; cooling and partially condensing the first and second feed streams to produce first and second cooled feed streams; supplying an absorber tower (20) containing mass transfer stages with the first and second cooled feed streams; separating the first and second cooled feed streams in the absorber tower to produce first vapor stream (43) and first liquid stream (21); expanding the first vapor stream to a low pressure so that the first vapor stream forms a lower fractionation tower feed stream; supplying a fractionation tower with the lower fractionation tower feed stream, a first fractionation tower reflux stream (44), and a second fractionation tower reflux stream; supplying a portion of the first liquid stream as a top stripping feed stream to at least partially reboiled stripping tower that contains mass transfer stages, the partially reboiled stripping tower to separate the portion of the first liquid stream to produce a stripper overhead stream and a stripper bottoms stream; cooling and condensing the stripper overhead stream to produce the second fractionation tower reflux stream that is sent to the fractionation tower; supplying the fractionation tower with a portion of the stripper bottoms stream; separating the portion of the stripper bottoms stream, along with the lower fractionation tower feed stream, the first fractionation tower reflux stream, and the second fractionation tower reflux stream in the fractionation tower to produce a tower bottoms stream and tower overhead stream (52); warming the tower overhead stream to produce a residue gas stream; splitting the residue gas stream into a residue recycle stream and a volatile residue gas stream after the step of warming the tower overhead stream to produce the residue gas stream; cooling and thereby substantially condensing the residue recycle stream before to returning the residue recycle stream to the fractionation tower as the first fractionation tower reflux stream; and controlling temperatures of the first and second fractionation tower reflux streams, lower fractionation tower feed stream, and stripper bottoms stream such that a major portion of the 2C components, 3C components and heavier hydrocarbons is recovered in the tower bottoms stream.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for an apparatus for separating an inlet gas stream comprising splitter for splitting a feed gas stream into first and second feed streams; first heat exchanger for cooling and partially condensing the first feed stream to produce a first cooled feed stream; second heat exchanger for cooling and partially condensing the second feed stream to produce a second cooled feed stream; an absorber tower containing mass transfer stages for separating the first and second cooled feed streams to produce a first vapor stream and a first liquid stream; an expander for expanding the first vapor stream to a low pressure so that the first vapor stream forms a lower fractionation tower feed stream; at least partially reboiled stripping tower having mass transfer stages and a top stripping feed stream which includes at least a portion of the first liquid stream to separate the portion of the first liquid stream to produce a stripper overhead stream and a stripper bottoms stream; fractionation tower for separating a portion of the stripper bottoms stream, the lower fractionation tower feed stream, a first fractionation tower reflux stream, and a second fractionation tower reflux stream to produce a tower bottoms stream and a tower overhead stream; third heat exchanger(s) for cooling and condensing the stripper overhead stream to produce the second fractionation tower reflux stream and for warming the tower overhead stream to produce a residue gas stream; and splitting mechanism for splitting the residue gas stream into a residue recycle stream and a volatile residue gas stream; where the residue recycle stream is cooled and condensed in the at least one third heat exchanger before returning the residue recycle stream to the fractionation tower as the first fractionation tower reflux stream, and where the residue gas stream is split into a residue recycle stream and a volatile residue gas stream after the tower overhead stream has been warmed to produce the residue gas stream.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure is a flow diagram of an ethane and heavier component recovery process.    Gas stream (1)    Feed stream (12)    Absorber tower (20)    Liquid stream (21)    Vapor stream (43)    Reflux stream (44)    Tower overhead stream (52)