The cracking of D-1-D-4 associated petroleum gases to ethylene and propylene in the presence of electrically heated metal wires in a tubular quartz reactor in the temperature range of 300-600A degrees D has been studied, while providing the heating by passing an electric current at a voltage of 25-40 V, a current intensity of 7.0-9.5 A, and a power of 200-350 W through a metal wire in the form of a tungsten, molybdenum, or nichrome coil contacting with the flowing gas stream. It has been found that the coil materials are arranged in the following order with respect to the alkene yield: tungsten > molybdenum > nichrome.