Abstract: The compact steam reformer of the present invention integrally comprises a housing; a reforming reactor having an upper mixing compartment for mixing natural gas and steam and a lower compartment for accommodating a catalyst bed; a natural gas feeding coiled pipe through which natural gas is introduced while being heated; a steam generating coiled pipe in which pure water is converted to steam by the exhaust; a metal fiber burner for heating the reforming reactor; a high-temperature converter for primarily removing carbon monoxide from a synthetic gas; a low-temperature converter for secondarily reducing the carbon monoxide level of the synthetic gas; and a heat exchanger, provided between the high-temperature converter and the low-temperature converter, for cooling the gas effluent from the high-temperature converter.

Abstract: A modified &thgr;-Al2O3-supported nickel reforming catalyst and its use for producing synthesis gas from natural gas, more specifically to a nickel reforming catalyst expressed by the following formula 1, having improved coke resistance, high-temperature catalysis stability and catalytic activity, which is prepared by coating nickel or mixture of nickel and cocatalyst (M1—M2—Ni) on a &thgr;-Al2O3 support modified with metal (M3—M4—ZrO2/&thgr;-Al2O3), and its use for producing synthesis gas from natural gas through steam reforming, oxygen reforming or steam-oxygen reforming, M1—M2—Ni/M3—M4—ZrO2/&thgr;-Al2O3  (1) wherein M1 is an alkali metal, each of M2 and M3 is an alkaline earth metal; and M4 is a IIIB element or a lanthanide.