The features of the methanation process over metal complex catalysts based on ruthenium and rhodium salts with trioctylamine were studied. The metal complexes were deposited by impregnation on gamma -Al2O3 and preliminary reduced with hydrogen at 200 degreesC. Kinetic studies were carried out in a flow system at atmospheric and elevated pressure. It was shown that a twofold excess of trioctylamine over rhodium trichloride (complex II) leads to a threefold increase in conversion as compared to the catalyst prepared from the Rh salt. Reaction orders in the components and activation energies were determined. The activation energy in the pulse and flow systems was shown to be almost identical for complex II. The presence of formic acid was detected on the catalyst surface by IR spectroscopy.