TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The inert packing comprises alpha-alumina spheres having a diameter of 1.16 - 1.2 inch. The spheres have a surface area of less than 5 m2/g. The noble metal catalyst is platinum or a platinum/rhenium mixture. When the catalyst is platinum, it is present in an amount of 0.05 - 3%; and when the catalyst is a platinum/rhenium mixture, the amount of platinum is at least about 0.4%. The noble metal catalyst is on an active support material, where the material has a surface area of 50 - 650 m2/g and the noble metal is present in an amount of 0.5 - 10 wt.% of the support. The catalytic combustion reactor provides heat for a heat exchange media.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The anhydride is phthalic anhydride. The reactor in oxidation step (a) is an entrainment reactor containing an inert packing. The heat exchange medium is biphenyl, terphenyl mixtures, mixed methylnaphthalene or steam. The methane is derived from a bacterially produced source (preferably from a landfill); or is the product of a sewage disposal plant or animal feces. Preferred Method: The heat to provide the decomposition temperature is supplied by the combustion of residual methane from the reactor in the presence of a noble metal catalyst. The methane gas entering the oxidation step (a) is derived from waste gas containing methane. When the step (c) is conducted in a reaction/distillation column, the methanol is an overhead effluent. The entrainment reactor is operated at a pressure of 5 - 400 psig. The process further involves subjecting the waste gas from the top of the column in step (b) to a catalytic combustion reactor to convert unreacted methane to methanol in the presence of a noble metal catalyst. EXAMPLE - A waste methane input stream depleted of carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur containing gases was oxidized in an entrainment reactor utilizing molten phthalic anhydride as the solvent/reactant. The waste methane input stream was derived from solid waste landfill bacterial decomposition and had CO2, hydrogen sulfide, methyl and ethyl mercaptan removed. Oxidation was carried out in the presence of 2% palladium and 2% copper phthalate in the phthalic anhydride solution. Flow rates involved about 85% molten phthalic solutions and the remainder entrained and dissolved air and methane. Contact time for the total mix of liquid and gases was 1 minute, temperature was 180 - 190degreesC and pressure was about 150 psig inlet. Reactor was packed with non-porous alpha-alumina spheres having diameter of approximately 1.8 inches. Reactor effluent was fed to a separator of two theoretical trays, which were also packed with alumina spheres, as was the reactor. Separator bottoms were retained as an all-liquid phase with maintenance of reactor exit temperature. The liquid phase from separator bottom was charged about mid way to a distillation column. Column bottoms were split and about half recycled to column entry about 60% up column as reboiler via heat exchanger such that entry liquid from reboiler raised full charge to about 210 - 220degreesC. That portion of column bottoms not sent in column recycle was sent back to entrainment reactor to pick up gases again after pumping it back to 150 psig. Reaction distillation column tops contained primarily methanol. This methanol was re-distilled to separate trace impurities. The impurities were sent to a bed of two percent platinum metal dispersed on an active alumina of about 250 m2/g, surface area. Air was pre-heated in stainless steel coils immersed in the oxidation catalyst bed, and then sent back to enter the bed with vent gases from the entrained oxidation reactor. Preheated air was used in a quantity to make the ratio of about 3 mols oxygen to 1 mol of methane. Mixed gas temperature entering this catalytic combustor was 400 - 450degreesC. A terphenyl mixture heat-exchange fluid was also passed through its catalytic combustor in tubes. The terphenyl was used as heat exchange with reboiler of the reaction/distillation system. The total reaction system was continuous.