The dynamics of the H atom formation channel in the reaction of metastable oxygen atoms O(D-1) with methane were studied in the gas phase using the pulsed laser photolysis/vacuum-UV laser-induced fluorescence "pump-and-probe" technique. Translationally energetic O(D-1) atoms with an average collision energy of 37 kJ/mol in the O(D-1)-CH4 center-of-mass system were generated by laser photolysis of N2O at 193 nm. Nascent H atoms produced in reactive collisions of O(D-1) with room-temperature CH4 molecules were detected with sub-Doppler resolution via (2p(2)P - 1s(2)S) laser-induced fluorescence. An absolute reaction cross section of sigma(H)(37 kJ/mol) = 1.4 +/- 0.5 Angstrom(2) was determined for the H atom formation channel by means of a calibration method. From the Il atom Doppler profiles measured under single-collision conditions the product translational energy release was determined.