The production of H-2 and CO by catalytic partial oxidation of CH4 at atmospheric pressure has been examined over NiO/gamma-Al2O3 and NiO/La2O3/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts. When NiO loading increased to 17.5 wt.-%, the syngas production over NiO/gamma-Al2O3 is found to increase consistently. In that case, the addition of La2O3 can improve the catalytic activity significantly, with a NiO content of more than 17.5 wt.-%, a very small extent of change in the catalytic activity and the selectivity for the methane oxidation to syngas as well as a little effect of La2O3 on the activity and the selectivity are observed. Under the condition of high space velocity, the CO2 and H2O reforming of CH4 occurs to a very small extent over reduced 12.5 wt.-% NiO/0.5 wt.-% La2O3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst. This fact and the results of the effect of space velocity on the methane partial oxidation to syngas suggest that both H-2, CO and CO2, H2O are the primary products of the methane oxidation. The results of characterizing 12.5 wt.-% NiO/0.5 wt.-% La2O3/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst reveal that the active form of catalyst is metallic Ni and the promoter La2O3 facilitate the reduction of the oxidative nickel,.