Processes for manufacturing synthesis gas, one of the most important high-volume products of gas chemistry, have been briefly surveyed. Trends in the development of catalysts and technologies used in the process have been shown. One of the most promising in terms of engineering design, cost, and safety is that based on the oxidative conversion of lower alkanes into synthesis gas with a circulating microspherical heterogeneous metal oxide contact. Experimental methods and devices for studying heterogeneous contacts and designing the process technology have been proposed. By the example of microspherical Ni-Co metal oxide heterogeneous contact, it has been shown that the proposed methods and setups provide extensive information and are useful for studying synthesis gas manufacturing in a system with separate feedstock and oxidant supply to the reaction and regeneration zones, respectively.