NOVELTY - Production of methane from biomass comprises hydropyrolyzing biomass in a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel containing molecular hydrogen and a deoxygenating catalyst; hydroconverting the reduced char hydropyrolysis product using a hydroconversion catalyst; cooling and introducing the hydroconversion product into a water-gas shift reactor, and producing a water-gas shift product comprising water and a gaseous mixture; and separating the carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane, and producing carbon dioxide stream, hydrogen stream, and a methane product stream.    USE - Method for producing methane from biomass (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The method provides superior methane yields when compared with conventional anaerobic digestion, gasification, or fast pyrolysis; and produces methane which occupies a lower physical footprint than a comparable anaerobic digester or fast pyrolyzer. Conversion of biomass in an anaerobic digester takes a long time (20-30 days of residence time in the digester), requiring a very large anaerobic digester. The method is less costly than conventional steam and oxygen pressurized gasification followed by methanation. Gasification is capital intensive because it is run at high temperatures, requires an air separation plant to produce the required oxygen, which air separation plant is capital intensive.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Production of methane from biomass comprises:    (A) hydropyrolyzing biomass in a hydropyrolysis reactor vessel containing molecular hydrogen and a deoxygenating catalyst at 1000 degrees F and 100-600 psig, producing a hydropyrolysis product comprising char and vapors;    (B) separating the char from the hydropyrolysis product, producing a reduced char hydropyrolysis product;    (C) hydroconverting the reduced char hydropyrolysis product in a hydroconversion reactor vessel using a hydroconversion catalyst at greater than 800 degrees F and 100-600 psig, producing a hydroconversion product;    (D) cooling introducing the hydroconversion product into a water-gas shift reactor, producing a water-gas shift product comprising water and a gaseous mixture, where the gaseous mixture comprises carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and methane; and    (E) separating the CO2, H2, and methane, producing a CO2 stream, an H2 stream, and a methane product stream.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for producing methane from biomass.    Water-gas shift reactor (12)    Separator (13)    Steam reformer (14)    Methanator (19)    Furnace (20)