TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: In the method, one or more promoter compounds are impregnated into the dried support and/or the metal oxide coated support. The method further comprises reducing the nickel oxide to elemental form with a hydrogen-containing gas mixture. Preferred Components: The metal aluminate is calcium aluminate, magnesium aluminate and nickel aluminate. The metal aluminate is calcium aluminate further comprises forming a calcium aluminate cement powder, optionally with additional alumina and/or lime, into a shape, curing the cement and subsequently calcining the shaped support. The support is alkalized by impregnation with a solution of an alkali prior to the calcination. The support is in the form of a shaped pellet, extrudate or granule. The support is in the form of a cylindrical pellet having 1-12 holes extending there-though and optionally 2-20 flutes or lobes. The impregnation solution is at a temperature of greater than or equal to 50 (preferably greater than or equal to 70) degrees C. The nickel concentration in the impregnating solution is 0.5-1M. The steps (i) and (ii) are performed until the nickel oxide content of the calcined material is 2-25 wt.%. The calcination of the impregnated support is performed at a temperature of 250-850 degrees C. EXAMPLE - Calcium aluminate cement was blended with alumina trihydrate and lime to obtain a mixture with a calcium:aluminum ratio of 10:43. Graphite (4 wt.%) was added, and the resulting mixture pelleted using a hydraulic tabletting machine to give cylinders of diameter 5.4 mm and length 5.4 mm. The pellets were subjected to water-curing and calcination to obtain a calcined shaped support. The pellets were impregnated with nickel acetate with a concentration of 0.851 M for 20 minutes at 70 degrees C. Following this, the nickel-precursor was decomposed by calcining the impregnated supports at 290 degrees C for 4 hours in air. The impregnation and calcination were repeated another two times. The nickel content of the final catalyst was 4.37 wt.%.