Process for preparing C1-C4-oxygenates by partial oxidation of hydrocarbons

A process for preparing C1-C4-oxygenates from a reactant stream A which comprises essentially a C1-C4-alkane or a mixture of C1-C4-alkanes, by a) branching off a substream B of the reactant stream A and allowing it to react in a reactor with oxygen or an oxygenous gas stream C, which converts a portion of the C1-C4-alkane or a portion of the mixture which comprises C1-C4-alkanes to C1-C4-oxygenates, b) removing at least 90 mol % of the C1-C4-oxygenates formed from the product stream D resulting from step a) to form a remaining low boiler stream E, which comprises combining the low boiler stream E with the reactant stream A without further workup and without combination with the substream B down-stream of the branching site of the substream B.