TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The syngas demand and the heat demand are satisfied by the reaction of step (c). The steam demand is satisfied by steam in the superheated steam stream and the oxygen-rich gas stream, and steam generated from the carbonaceous feedstock. The target operating temperature is at least 1000-1500 degrees F (538-816 degrees C). The superheated steam stream is fed to the hydromethanation reactor at 500-950 degrees F (260-510 degrees C). The superheated steam stream and the oxygen-rich stream are combined for feeding into the lower section of the fluidized bed of the hydromethanation reactor, where the temperature of the combined stream is 500-900 degrees F (260-482 degrees C). The methane-enriched raw product stream is introduced into a first heat exchanger unit to recover heat energy and generate a cooled methane enriched raw product stream, where the heat energy recovered in the first heat exchanger unit is used to generate a first process steam stream, and superheat the first process steam stream for use as all or a part of the superheated steam stream for introduction into the hydromethanation reactor and at least a portion of the carbon monoxide in the cooled methane-enriched raw product stream is steam shifted to generate heat energy and a hydrogen-enriched raw product stream. The heat energy is recovered from the steam shifting, and at least a portion of the recovered heat energy is utilized to preheat boiler feed water for use in generating process steam. The hydrogen-enriched raw product stream is substantially dehydrated to generate a dehydrated hydrogen-enriched raw product stream, where a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide and a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide are removed from the dehydrated hydrogen-enriched raw product stream to produce a sweetened gas stream comprising a substantial portion of the hydrogen, carbon monoxide (if present in the dehydrated hydrogen-enriched raw product stream) and methane from the dehydrated hydrogen-enriched raw product stream. In the process: a portion of hydrogen from the sweetened gas stream is separated to produce a hydrogen product stream and a hydrogen-depleted sweetened gas stream comprising methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and carbon monoxide and hydrogen present in the sweetened gas stream (or hydrogen depleted sweetened gas stream, if present) are reacted in a catalytic methanator in the presence of a methanation catalyst to produce heat energy and a methane-enriched sweetened gas stream, where methane-enriched sweetened gas stream is recovered as a methane product stream and the methane product stream is a pipeline-quality natural gas. The heat energy from the catalytic methanation is recovered and at least a portion of the recovered heat energy is utilized to generate and superheat a second process steam stream, where the superheated steam stream substantially comprises steam from the first process steam stream and the second process steam stream. The process is steam neutral or steam positive. Preferred Components: The methane-enriched raw product stream comprises at least 15 mol% methane (based on the moles of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane-enriched raw product stream), and 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). EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.