WO200276885-A2  B. DHANDAPANI ET AL.: "Simultaneous hydrodesulfurization, hydrodeoxygenation and hydrogenation with molybdenum carbide" APPLIED CATALYSIS A: GENERAL., vol. 168, 1998, pages 219-228, XP002221901 ELSEVIER SCIENCE, AMSTERDAM., NL ISSN: 0926-860X;  T. XIAO ET AL.: "Preparation of molybdenum carbides using butane and their catalytic performance" CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS., no. 12, 2000, pages 3896-3905, XP002221902 AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, WASHINGTON., US ISSN: 0897-4756;  A. K. BRUNGS ET AL.: "Dry reforming of methane to synthesis gas over supported molybdenum carbide" CATALYSIS LETTERS., vol. 70, 2000, pages 117-122, XP002203835 BALTZER, SCIENTIFIC PUBL, BASEL., CH ISSN: 1011-372X;  ATTILA J BRUNGS ET AL: "Comparison of the group V and VI transition metal carbides for methane dry reforming and thermodynamic prediction of their relative stabilities" CATALYSIS LETTERS, BALTZER, SCIENTIFIC PUBL, BASEL, CH, vol. 57, no. 1,2, February 1999 (1999-02), pages 65-69, XP002159539 ISSN: 1011-372X;  CLARIDGE J B ET AL: "NEW CATALYSTS FOR THE CONVERSION OF METHANE TO SYNTHESIS GAS: MOLYBDENUM AND TUNGSTEN CARBIDE" JOURNAL OF CATALYSIS, ACADEMIC PRESS, DULUTH, MN, US, vol. 180, no. 1, 15 November 1998 (1998-11-15), pages 85-100, XP000786610 ISSN: 0021-9517;  J. PATT ET AL.: "Molybdenum carbide catalysts for water-gas shift" CATALYSIS LETTERS., vol. 65, 2000, pages 193-195, XP002221899 BALTZER, SCIENTIFIC PUBL, BASEL., CH ISSN: 1011-372X;  KI YEOP PARK ET AL: "SELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF LIGHT OLEFINS FROM SYNGAS OVER POTASSIUM-PROMOTED MOLYBDENUM CARBIDE CATALYSTS" CATALYSIS LETTERS, BALTZER, SCIENTIFIC PUBL, BASEL, CH, vol. 11, no. 3 / 6, 1 December 1991 (1991-12-01), pages 349-356, XP000239953 ISSN: 1011-372X;  M. TSUJI ET AL.: "Remarkable support effect of ZrO2 upon CO2 reforming of CH4 over supported molybdenum carbide catalysts" CATALYSIS LETTERS., vol. 69, 2000, pages 195-198, XP002203834 BALTZER, SCIENTIFIC PUBL, BASEL., CH ISSN: 1011-372X;  SHAMSI A ET AL: "METHANE DRY REFORMING OVER CARBIDE, NI-BASED, AND NOBLE METAL CATALYSTS" PREPRINTS, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, WASHINGTON, DC,, US, vol. 45, no. 1, 2000, pages 132-134, XP000980644 ISSN: 0569-3799;  T. MIYAO ET AL.: "Preparation and characterisation of alumina-supported molybdenum carbide" APPLIED CATALYSIS A: GENERAL., vol. 165, 1997, pages 419-428, XP002221900 ELSEVIER SCIENCE, AMSTERDAM., NL ISSN: 0926-860XUS6852303-B2  Claridge, J.B., York, A.P.E., Brungs, A.J., Marquez-Alvarez, C., Sloan, J. , Tsang, S.C., Green, M.L.H., Journal of Catalysis, 180, 85 (1998), no month.*;  F. H. Ribeiro et al., Preparation and Surface Composition of Tungsten Carbide Powders with High Specific Surface Area, 1991 American Chemical Society, 805-812, no month.;  Refractory Hard Metals, Tungsten Carbides, Macmillan, New York, 1953, no month.;  Saito, M., Anderson, R., J. Catal., 67(2), 296-302 (1981), no month.*;  Shamsi, A., Lyons, D., American Chemical Society Division of Petroleum Chemistry, vol. 45(1), p. 132-134 (2000), no month.*;  York, A.P.E., Claridge, J.B., Brungs, A.J., Tsang, S.C., Green, M.L.H., Chem Commun., 39-40 (1997), no month.*WO200276885-A3  DATABASE WPI Section Ch, Week 200064 Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; Class A12, AN 2000-320116 XP002178685 & JP 2000 318298 A (OJI PAPER CO), 21 November 2000 (2000-11-21);  PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1999, no. 01, 29 January 1999 (1999-01-29) & JP 10 272832 A (OJI PAPER CO LTD), 13 October 1998 (1998-10-13) & EP 0 997 314 A (OJI PAPER) 3 May 2000 (2000-05-03);  PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1998, no. 10, 31 August 1998 (1998-08-31) & JP 10 119426 A (DAINIPPON PRINTING CO LTD), 12 May 1998 (1998-05-12);  DATABASE WPI Section Ch Week 200064, Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB; Class A12, AN 2000-320116, XP002178685,relevantClaims[1-71],relevantPassages[&lt;pp&gt;A&lt;/pp&gt;];  PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1999, no. 01 29 January 1999 (1999-01-29),relevantClaims[1-71],relevantPassages[&lt;pp&gt;A&lt;/pp&gt;|&lt;para&gt;6,19,23&lt;/para&gt;&lt;example&gt;-&lt;/example&gt;];  PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1998, no. 10 31 August 1998 (1998-08-31),relevantClaims[1-71],relevantPassages[&lt;pp&gt;A&lt;/pp&gt;|&lt;para&gt;12-15&lt;/para&gt;&lt;example&gt;-&lt;/example&gt;]