NOVELTY - Preparing higher hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range from methane containing feed gas, comprises: (a) mixing the feed gas with a hydrogenated tail gas and autothermal reforming the mixed feed gas to a methanol synthesis gas; (b) converting the methanol synthesis gas to a methanol and dimethyl ether; (c) converting the methanol and dimethyl ether to a raw product; (d) cooling and separating the raw product into a water fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction; (e) hydrogenating the tail gas as to provide the hydrogenated tail gas; and (f) recycling the hydrogenated tail gas.    USE - The process is useful for the preparation of higher hydrocarbons (claimed), which are useful as gasoline compounds such as high octane gasoline.    ADVANTAGE - The process is capable of economically preparing the hydrocarbons with improved productivity and without using carbon dioxide removal process.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Preparing higher hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range from methane containing feed gas, comprises: (a) mixing the feed gas with a hydrogenated tail gas and autothermal reforming the mixed feed gas to a methanol synthesis gas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide; (b) converting the methanol synthesis gas to a methanol and dimethyl ether containing effluent in presence of one or more catalysts active in the conversion of hydrogen and carbon oxides to methanol and dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether; (c) converting the methanol and dimethyl ether containing effluent as prepared in step (b) to a raw product containing hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range, water, unconverted methanol synthesis gas and carbon dioxide formed during the conversion of the methanol synthesis gas; (d) cooling and separating the raw product into a water fraction and a hydrocarbon fraction comprising higher hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range and into a tail gas with the unconverted methanol synthesis gas and the carbon dioxide; (e) hydrogenating a part of the tail gas as obtained in step (d) to provide the hydrogenated tail gas; and (f) recycling the hydrogenated tail gas to step (a).