This work aims to study strategies of Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) applied to a simulated depropanizer distillation column. These columns are used in natural gas processing units (NGPUs) for the separation of the product propane from butane. Distillation columns have particularly challenging features from the control point of view, such as: nonlinearities, large time constants, delay, variable constraints and static gain signal inversion. Because compositional measures often have delays and sparse data, conventional control systems are not able to control composition directly and have difficulty keeping products within specifications. However, model-based controllers predict composition through the internal process model, besides being able to handle constraints. In the literature, no applications of the modified Hammerstein model for distillation column or multivariable systems was found, so this is a novelty. Therefore, three control strategies were studied: traditional PID control, NMPC with modified Hammerstein model (H-NMPC) and NMPC with neural network model (NN-NMPC). The studied system was identified in order to obtain adequate numerical values of the model parameters. The model identification and the NMPC algorithms were implemented in the MATLAB environment. The distillation column was simulated using Aspen Plus Dynamics. As a result, the H-NMPC provided better control performance for different setpoint tracking, control variables decoupling, and disturbance rejection. Furthermore, it presented faster computational speed compared to NN-NMPC.