(JP4211496-A)      Methane rich reaction gas is produced from a mixt. of methanol and water by a one stage gaseous catalytic reaction. The catalyst is a Ni gp. metal carried on an alumina base carrier, has a reduced sulphur content and reduced specific surface area. Raw material is heated to reaction-starting temp. in an evaporator and overheating unit by heat exchange with a heat medium having absorbed reaction heat. Before raw material is fed into reaction vessel, heat medium is circulated while being heated first through reactor, evaporator and overheating unit and then through reactor by switching plural bypasses depending upon the temp. rise. On the other hand, heating gas is fed into the feed line, and led to the reactor through the evaporator and overheating unit to heat the catalyst. After the catalyst reaches a given temp., heating is stopped and the heating medium is switched to the reactor. Catalyst is further heated to activated temp. when the raw material is fed into the reaction vessel and heating is stopped.    ADVANTAGE -   Heating medium not fully heated can be prevented from being fed into and solidify in the reactor, raw material evaporator or raw material overheater    (EP295715-B1)      A one step single-pass process for producing city gas comprising passing a preheated mixt. of methanol and water having a desired temp. once through a single reactor under steady state reaction conditions comprising a temp. maintained at between 280 and 305 deg.C and a pressure of less than about 0.912 MPa (9 atmospheres) in the presence of a catalyst, which comprises a nickel component selected from the gp. consisting of elemental nickel (Ni) and a nickel cpd. supported on a carrier comprising alumina material, wherein the alumina material is selected from a gp. consisting of alumina material having a sulphur content of less than about 1.2% by wt. and a specific surface area of less than about 350 m2/g., to produce a methane-rich gas mixt. and heat of reaction, sepg. water or at least a portion of any water present in the methane-rich gas mixt. from the methane-rich gas mixt., producing a methane-rich gas by removing carbon dioxide from the methane-rich gas mixt., opt. dehumidifying the resultant methane-rich gas, adding butane to the methane-rich gas to regulate the caloric content of the methane-rich gas, using at least a portion of the water sepd. from the methane-rich gas mixt. to supply water of the mixt. of methanol and water during steady state reaction, and exchanging heat between a heat transfer medium, heated by heat generated by the heat of reaction during the prodn. of the methane-rich gas mixt., and the mixt. of methanol and water in at least one heat exchanger to produce the preheated mixt. of methanol and water.