TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Catalyst: The basic metal oxide comprises magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, barium oxide and/or zinc oxide, preferably zinc oxide. The catalyst (A) comprises a support and a catalytic agent. The support is activated alumina, which has a BET effective surface area of at least 10 m2/g. The alumina support is impregnated with catalytically effective amount of catalytic agent and the basic metal oxide. The catalyst (A) further comprises a promoter comprising cerium oxide, neodymium oxide, praseodymium oxide, titanium dioxide, ferric oxide, nickel oxide, manganese oxide and/or cobalt oxide, preferably cerium oxide. The catalytic agent comprises rhodium, palladium and/or platinum, preferably platinum. The catalyst is deposited on the monolith as a wash coat composition. Preferred Process: The process involves providing an input gas stream, contacting the gas stream with catalyst (A), and catalyzing WGS reaction using the catalyst. The input gas stream comprises 1-10 volume% of carbon monoxide, at least 30 vol% of hydrogen and at least 15 vol% of water. The input gas stream has a space velocity greater than 500 hr-1 particle VHSV, preferably greater than 2000 hr-1 particle VHSV. SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS - The basic metal oxide is zinc oxide.    EXAMPLE - A platinum-zinc oxide-alumina catalyst was prepared by impregnating about 5 weight% of zinc oxide into alumina support with 1 M zinc nitrate solution, followed by drying and calcination at 500 degreesC. The catalyst was in the form of 1/8 inch spheres. 10 g of the obtained granular samples were taken in a quartz-tube reactor. Activity was expressed as the temperature needed to reach 50% conversion. Methanation was not observed at reaction temperature up to about 450 degreesC under test conditions. Steam was added to a gas reactant stream of 8 volume% carbon monoxide, 10 vol% carbon dioxide and 43 vol% hydrogen, until the steam contained 25 vol% water. The space velocity of the gas reactant stream was 2500 hr-1 VHSV. The gas reactant stream was passed through the catalyst, and the conversion of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and methane content were measured. The carbon monoxide conversion rate and methane content measured at 162.6 degreesC and 447.9 degreesC, were found to be 0.49% and 0.69 ppm, and 73.58% and 20.76 ppm, respectively.