A MoVTeNb multimetallic mixed oxide was studied for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane, a promising alternative for catalytic ethylene production. Lab-scale steady-state experimental reaction data were obtained according to a 3(k) experimental design to investigate the simultaneous effect of temperature (400-480 degrees C) and space time [23-70 g(cat) h (mol of ethane) I]. A fixed-bed reactor at atmospheric pressure was employed, feeding a mixture of ethane, oxygen, and nitrogen. Ethane conversion varied from 17 to 85%, whereas selectivity for ethylene and COx varied from 94 to 76% and from 4.0 to 24%, respectively. These types of analyses are useful for determining the optimum reaction conditions to enhance the catalytic performance of the mixed oxides presented herein.