Abstract: Hydrocarbon feedstock is first vaporized in the presence of hydrogen and then the vaporized hydrocarbon feedstock together with excess hydrogen, is gasified to form an effluent gas consisting essentially of methane and aromatic hydrocarbons together with hydrogen and minor amounts of hydrogen sulfide. The process is suitable for the production of a pipeline gas having a heating value of approximately 1,000 BTU/SCF by further processing the effluent, after separation of the aromatic fraction and hydrogen sulfide from the gasifier effluent; the effluent is subject to cryogenic separation of the hydrogen with the hydrogen being recycled to the gasification step and the methane being discharged into a product pipeline. The overall process contemplates revaporization of the aromatic fraction separated from the effluent and regasification to extinction of this fraction.