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Transcripción del abstract original del autor: Catalytic partial oxidation (POX) and auto-thermal reforming (ATR) of methane (which is the main constituent of natural gas) are becoming key technologies to produce hydrogen gas when relatively low flow-rates of this gas are required in order to supply small and medium-size fuel cells or other mobile or stationary applications. The main chemical reaction involved in the POX process (CH4 + O2 = CO2 + 2 H2) is moderately exothermic and in the ATR technology both exothermic and endothermic reactions are combined to end with an adiabatic process. On the contrary, the conventional steam reforming processes are highly endothermic (they must take place in complicated and expensive reactors). As a result of this difference is that POX and ATR technologies, even when the hydrogen yield is lower, present both technical (adiabatic reactors) as well as economic advantages for low hydrogen production rates. In the first part of this paper the technologies relating to hydrogen production form natural gas will be discussed showing the advantages and disadvantages of the POX and ATR processes as compared with other existing or under-development hydrogen production technologies. The second part deals with the development of a new POX catalyst that is active, stable and cheap. The third part presents the preliminary engineering design of a hydrogen production facility using ATR for stationary applications and also some economic data showing that the synergy between the existing natural gas supply infrastructure and this type of small "on site" hydrogen production facilities could achieve a safer and cheaper alternative than the current hydrogen supply from large central facilities.