(US4783572-A)      Ethane and ethylene are prepd. by oxidising methane with oxygen or an oxygen-contg. gas at 600-900 deg.C in the presence of a catalyst consisting essentially of lead (II) oxide, either (a) dispersed on pumice, silicon carbide, zinc oxide, zirconium dioxide or alkaline earth metal oxide carrier, (b) in a mixt. with manganese (II) oxide, dispersed on pumice, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, zinc oxide or oxides of alkaline earth elements, or (c) in a mixt. with sodium silicate, alone or in combination with silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, manganese (II) oxide, zinc oxide or alkaline earth element oxides.    ADVANTAGE -   Prods. are obtd. in high selectivities with good catalyst activities. (5pp)-    (EP195198-B)      A process for the production of ethane and ethylene by oxidation of methane with molecular oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature of 600 to 900 deg. C in the presence of lead (II) oxide as catalyst, characterised in that the lead (II) oxide used is distributed over a support consisting of pumice, silicon carbide, zinc oxide, zirconium dioxide and/or of oxides of the alkaline-earth elements, optionally in admixture with sodium silicate, or is distributed in admixture with manganese (II) oxide over a support consisting of pumice, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, zinc oxide and/or oxides of the alkaline-earth elements, optionally in admixture with sodium silicate, or is used without a support in admixture with sodium silicate alone or together with silicon dioxide, titanium di-oxide, zirconium dioxide, manganese (II) oxide and/or oxides of the alkaline-earth elements. (7pp))    (DE3508571-C)      Prepn. of ethane and ethylene comprises oxidn. of methane using O2 or an O2-contg. gas in the presence of a PbO catalyst (I) at 600-900 deg.C.    (I) may be used on a carrier comprising pumice stone, silicon carbide, zinc oxide and/or oxides of alkaline earth metals, opt. mixed with sodium silicate. It can also be used in a mixt. contg. 0.2-0.5 equivs. MnO on a carrier made from the above materials and/or silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide. The catalyst may also be used without a carrier, in which case it is mixed with sodium silicate alone, or additionally with silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, manganese dioxide, zinc oxide and/or alkaline earth metal oxides.    USE/ADVANTAGE -   Unlike Fischer-Tropsch reactions, this method does not require high pressured aid is highly selective. (6pp)