NOVELTY - A hydrocarbon stream is liquefied by providing liquefaction system with natural gas liquid (NGL) recovery system(s) (12), main refrigerant circuit (42) and first refrigerant circuit (100), and a pressure reducing device (52) followed by gas/liquid separator; passing hydrocarbon feed stream to produce a methane-enriched overhead stream; passing through first compressor to provide methane-compressed stream; cooling against first refrigerant and liquefying methane-compressed stream against main refrigerant; and reducing pressure to provide mixed-phase stream (60).    USE - Method of liquefying hydrocarbon stream.    ADVANTAGE - The method improves separation of C2+ hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon stream, and provides more efficient location for the recycle of end-compressed stream back into the liquefaction process.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Liquefying hydrocarbon stream involves providing liquefaction system with NGL recovery system(s) (12), main refrigerant circuit (42) and first refrigerant circuit (100), and a pressure reducing device (52) followed by gas/liquid separator; passing hydrocarbon feed stream through NGL recovery system to produce a methane-enriched overhead stream; passing through first compressor to provide methane-compressed stream; cooling against first refrigerant in first refrigerant circuit and liquefying methane-compressed stream against main refrigerant in main refrigerant circuit, to provide first liquefied stream; reducing pressure of first liquefied stream to provide mixed-phase stream (60); passing through an end gas/liquid separator to provide end gaseous stream and liquefied hydrocarbon product stream; feeding recycle fraction(s) of end gaseous stream into methane-enriched overhead stream or methane-compressed stream upstream of at least a part of cooling against first refrigerant; and maximizing loading power of main refrigerant compressors and first refrigerant compressors to their maximum load by adjusting temperature (Tx) of first liquefied stream to change the amount of end gaseous stream and controlling the amount in the recycle fraction of end-gaseous stream. The main refrigerant circuit includes main refrigerant compressors, and first refrigerant circuit includes first refrigerant compressors. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a liquefying apparatus of hydrocarbon stream.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing is a schematic diagram for liquefying hydrocarbon stream.    NGL recovery system (12)    Main refrigerant circuit (42)    Pressure reducing device (52)    Mixed-phase stream (60)    First refrigerant circuit (100)