A number of Pt (1.0 wt%) and Pd (1.0 wt%) containing alkaline earth oxide (namely, MgO and CaO) and rare earth oxide (namely, La2O3, Pr6O11, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Gd2O3, Dy2O3 and Er2O3) catalysts have been compared for their performance in the oxidative conversion of methane to CO and H-2 at 700 and 800 degrees C and at very low contact time [GHSV = 5.0 ( +/- 0.2) X 10(5) cm(3). g(-1) . h(-1)]. The catalysts are characterized by their specific surface area and H-2 chemisorption at 40 degrees C. Among the Pt- and Pd-containing catalysts, the best performance is shown by Pt/Gd2O3 and Pd/Sm2O3, respectively. These catalysts show high selectivity for CO but low selectivity for hydrogen due to reverse water gas shift reaction. Since alkaline and rare earth oxides are basic in nature, they act not only as a support for dispersing noble metals but also play a significant role in deciding the activity/selectivity of the Pt- or Pd-containing catalysts.