TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The metal catalyst comprises metal chosen from lanthanide, actinide and group 2-12 elements, preferably group 3-12 elements. The metal is chosen from yttrium, scandium, lanthanum, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, rhenium, iron, ruthenium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, cerium and neodymium, preferably from yttrium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, rhodium and platinum. The metal catalyst is used in solid form, essentially forming reactor bed, and is supported on and preferably grafted to a solid support. The solid support is chosen from inorganic solid supports, preferably from metal oxides, refractory oxides, molecular sieves, sulphated metal oxides, sulphated refractory oxides, metal sulphides, refractory sulphides, sulphided metal oxides, sulphided refractory oxides and azides.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: Ethane is produced in a single-stage process under conditions involving non-oxidative coupling of methane. The carbon-containing compounds produced during ethane production contains 65 wt.% or more of ethane, preferably 98 or 99 wt.%. Methane is contacted with metal catalyst in presence of initial alkane(s), preferably 2-30C alkanes and inert agent(s), preferably liquid or gases inert agents, especially inert gases for producing ethane. Preferred Operating conditions: Ethane production is carried out with constant operating conditions in gas phase, particularly in a fluidized bed reactor and/or reactor with mechanically stirred bed, stationary bed reactor or circulating bed reactor. The operating conditions are absolute pressure of 10-3-100 MPa, preferably 0.1-10 MPa and temperature of -30degreesC to 800degreesC, preferably 50-450degreesC. EXAMPLE - A tantalum catalyst supported on and grafted to silica was prepared. Methane under total absolute pressure of 5 MPa was supplied to a reactor which was heated to 250degreesC. The reactor comprised the prepared tantalum catalyst (300 mg). Methane was contacted with the tantalum catalyst. Methane coupling reaction was carried out and ethane was produced. The produced ethane had selectivity of more than 99.9 wt.% with respect to carbon-containing compounds formed during the reaction. The reaction does not produces alkenes or alkynes such as ethylene or acetylene, aromatic compounds such as benzene, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.