Silica supported rhenium oxide has been studied for partial oxidation of methane and ethane with oxygen. Loading of rhenium oxide on silica remarkably increases the conversions of methane and ethane. The presence of rhenium oxide increases the selectivity to useful oxygenates, particularly in ethane oxidation. The results suggest that rhenium oxide not only activates methane or ethane but also enhances oxygen transfer to form oxygenates.