PROCESS FOR PREPARING SYNTHESIS GAS BY AUTOTHERMAL REFORMING

Disclosed is a process for producing a synthesis gas by an autothermal reforming method including a step of partially oxidizing a carbon-containing organic compound to produce a high temperature mixed gas, and a synthesis producing step of reacting the unreacted carbon-containing organic compound contained in the high temperature mixed gas with carbon dioxide and/or steam, wherein a catalyst having a considerably suppressed carbon deposition activity is used as a catalyst for the synthesis gas producing step. The catalyst is characterized in that the catalyst comprises a carrier formed of a metal oxide, and at least one catalytic metal selected from rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, palladium and platinum and supported on the carrier, in that the catalyst has a specific surface area of 25 m /g or less, in that metal ion of the carrier metal oxide has electronegativity of 13.0 or less, and in that the amount of the catalytic metal supported is 0.0005-0.1 mole %, in terms of a metal, based on the carrier metal oxide.