TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The methane-enriched raw product stream comprises at least 20 mol.% of methane (based on the moles of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane-enriched raw product stream). The methane-enriched raw product stream comprises at least 50 mol.% of methane and carbon dioxide (based on the moles of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane-enriched raw product stream). The vanadium-containing carbonaceous material is a petcoke. The alkali metal hydromethanation catalyst is a potassium hydromethanation catalyst. The catalyst recycle stream split from the aqueous stream comprises 75-95 wt.% of the aqueous stream. Preferred Process: In the process, an oxygen-rich gas stream is fed into the hydromethanation reactor. The amount of oxygen provided is varied as a process control to assist control of the temperature in the hydromethanation reactor. The process is a continuous process in which steps (a), (b), (c) and (d) are performed in a continuous manner. The steps of (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (j) and (k) are performed in a continuous manner. The step (c) has a syngas demand, a steam demand and a heat demand, and the super heated hydromethanation gas feed stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, steam and heat energy sufficient to at least substantially satisfy the syngas demand, steam demand and heat demand. The oxygen-rich gas stream is supplied periodically or continuously to the hydromethanation reactor, and the amount of oxygen provided is varied as a process control. The char by-product is generated in the step (c) and is collected in the hydromethanation reactor in a collection zone, an oxygen-rich gas stream is supplied to the hydromethanation reactor, and the oxygen rich gas stream is introduced into the char by-product collection zone of hydromethanation reactor. The char by-product withdrawn from the hydromethanation is quenched by contacting the char by-product with an aqueous quench stream. The quenched char slurry is generated by the quenching step, which is contacted with a stream of carbon dioxide, followed by a stream of an oxygen-containing gas, followed by solid/liquid separation, to generate the alkali metal and vanadium-depleted char stream and the aqueous alkali metal and vanadium enriched stream. The quenched char slurry is generated by the quenching step, which is contacted with a stream of an oxygen-containing gas, optionally followed by a stream of carbon dioxide with pressure let down, followed by solid/liquid separation, to generate the alkali metal and vanadium-depleted char stream and the aqueous alkali metal and vanadium enriched stream. The bleed stream is subject to a solvent extraction step to generate the vanadium enriched stream and the vanadium-depleted stream. The vanadium-depleted stream is contacted with carbon dioxide to recover alkali metal content from the vanadium-depleted stream, which can be recycled as a part of the catalyst recovery. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.