TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Method: The contacting step comprises contacting a reactant gas mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and a source of oxygen with the catalyst at a gas hourly space velocity of at least 20000 (preferably 1x10 power 5-6x10 power 6)/hr. The step of maintaining the catalyst at catalytic oxidation promoting conditions during the contacting involves maintaining a gas temperature of 600-1800 degrees C and a pressure of 130-10000 kPa. The method includes mixing a methane-containing feedstock and an oxygen-containing feedstock to provide a reactant gas having a carbon:oxygen (C:O2) molar ratio of 1.25:1-3.3:1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The product includes 1-5C olefins.Preferred Composition: The 1-5C hydrocarbon comprises at least 50 vol.% methane.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Material: The non-microporous support comprises glass, and/or preferably refractory material. The refractory material is cordierite, cordierite-alpha-alumina, zircon mullite, spodumene, alumina-silica magnesia, zircon silicate, sillimanite, zircin, petalite, alpha-alumina and aluminosilicates, magnesium stabilized zirconia, zirconia stabilized alumina, yttrium stabilized zirconia, calcium stabilized zirconia, magnesia, niobia and vanadia, carbon black, and/or preferably carbon, alumina, silica, titania, zirconia, and/or silica-alumina.Preferred Component: The discrete non-microporous support structure is a particulate or spherical. It comprises powders, particles, pellets, granules, spheres, beads, pills, balls, noodles, cylinders, irregularly-shaped particles, pastilles, extrudates and trilobes. The thin shell catalyst comprises discrete structures.Preferred Parameter: The support structure has a characteristic longest dimension of less than 25 mm. The thin shell catalyst has an effectiveness factor of greater than 0.1 (preferably greater than 0.4) while under catalytic oxidation promoting conditions. Majority of the discrete structures has a maximum characteristic length of less than 25 (preferably 0.5-6) mm. The ratio of the thickness of the catalyst thin shell/radius of the support structure is less than 1:1. The thickness of the catalyst thin shell is 1-1000 (preferably 5-100) microns.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Ratio: The product has hydrogen:carbon monoxide (H2:CO) molar ratio of 1.5-2.3.Preferred Material: The non-microporous support may comprise metal oxides, metal carbides, and/or metal nitrides. The refractory material can be silicon nitride, magnesium silicates, calcium carbonate, barium sulfate, carbon black, and/or preferably carbon. The thin shell includes a lanthanide metal, magnesium, cerium, and/or their oxides.