TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Process: The methane partial pressure is 0.1-50, (preferably 0.5-9.5) MPa. The contacting operation is carried out at - 30 to + 500 degrees C and in a molar ratio of methane to starting alkane of 0.1:1-105:1, (preferably 60:1-5x10 to the power 3:1). Methane is contacted with a mixture of two or more starting alkanes. The process is carried out continuously in the gas phase, particularly in a mechanically stirred and/or fluidized bed reactor or a stationary or circulating bed reactor, in which the bed comprises the metal compound. It is carried out in the liquid phase comprising the starting alkane(s) in the liquid state under the conditions of the catalytic reaction.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The starting alkane is optionally substituted acyclic alkane of formula (I) or substituted acyclic alkane of formula (II):CnH2n+2 (I)Cn'H2n' (II)n = 2-60, preferably 3-20;n' = 5-60, preferably 5-10.The hydrocarbon radical is optionally saturated hydrocarbon radical having 1-20, preferably 1-10C. It can be alkyl, alkylidene, alkylidyne, aryl, aralkyl, aralkylidene, or aralkylidyne radicals.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal compound comprises at least one metal atom from lanthanides, actinides, or metals from Groups 2-12, preferably transition metals from Groups 3-12 of the Periodic Table of Elements.The metal is scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, palladium, platinum, iridium, cerium, or neodymium.It can be metal compound supported on and dispersed over a solid support, metal compounds supported on and grafted to a solid support, or non-supported metal compounds.The supported and grafted metal compounds comprise a solid support to which are grafted different or identical metal atom(s), in particular bonded to the support via single or multiple bond(s). The metal atom supported on and grafted to the solid support is bonded to at least one hydrogen atom and/or to at least one hydrocarbon radical, preferably via a carbon-metal single, double or triple bond.The metal compound is a supported and grafted metal compound comprising a solid support to which are grafted at least two types of metal atom, one in a form of a metal compound where the metal atom is bonded to hydrogen atom(s) and/or hydrocarbon radical(s), and the other in a form of a metal compound where the metal atom is solely bonded to the support and optionally to other compound(s) that is hydrogen atom or hydrocarbon radical.Preferred Property: The metal atom of the supported and grafted metal compound has a degree of oxidation of 1 to its maximum value. EXAMPLE - A mixture of (per 106 mol methane) propane (8x10 to the power 2 mol) was continuously passed at 1.5 ml/min under methane partial pressures of 5 MPa through a reactor that was heated to 250 degrees C and comprising tantalum compound (300 mg). The methane was contacted with propane in the presence of the tantalum compound resulted in the formation of ethane according to propane methane-olysis reaction. The conversion of propane in the reaction was measured and calculated. The results showed 99% conversion of propane with reaction for 360 minutes, 91% conversion of the propane with reaction of 3600 minutes, and 2.67 mols methane incorporated per mol of tantalum after reacting for 3600 minutes.