Abstract: A process for producing a substitute natural gas from methanol, especially seaborne methanol liable to be contaminated with chloride, comprises catalytically reacting methanol vapor in a decomposition stage at an outlet temperature above 550.degree. C, cooling the resulting gas by indirect heat exchange, preferably with water, to 250.degree.-350.degree. C, methanating the cooled gas with an outlet temperature of 500.degree.-650.degree. C, cooling the methanated gas by indirect heat exchange, preferably with methanol, and methanating the resulting gas in at least one further methanation stage. By avoiding the injection of liquid methanol, as had been previously proposed, for cooling the hot gas, the poisoning of catalysts by impurities such as chloride does not take place.

Abstract: Methane is produced by reacting a feed gas containing carbon oxides and hydrogen catalytically at an outlet temperature in the range 250-450.degree.C in heat exchange with boiling water generating steam at high pressure or in co-current heat exchange with coal feed gas, whereby heat is continuously removed from the process. By operating such a process in conjunction with a process of reacting hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight than methane with steam a natural gas substitute can be produced very economically.