Partial oxidation of methane and ethane to synthesis gas over a LiLaNiO/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst was investigated with a flow reactor, AAS, XPS, and XRD. Excellent reaction performance for CH4-C2H6-O-2 to synthesis gas over the LiLaNiO/gamma-Al(2)Q(3) is achieved at 1073 K, obtaining CO selectivity of 90-95% and CH4 conversion of similar to 97%, with a wide range of C2H6 content in the feed and of space velocity. Meanwhile, 100, 200 and 500 h life tests of the LiLaNiO/gamma-Al2O3 for natural gas-O-2 to synthesis gas were also performed. The results indicate that the LiLaNiO/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst not only possesses excellent reaction performance (CH4 conversion similar to 95%, CO selectivity similar to 98%), good carbon deposition resistance, but also has a relatively stable element component and a stable crystal phase structure during a 500h life test experiment under conditions of 1123 K, natural gas/O-2 ratio of 1.90 and space velocity of 2.7 x 10(5) 1/(kg h).