Analysis of the behavior of a structured reactor of small scale has been fulfilled at millisecond contact times and high temperatures. A single channel fragment of corundum honeycomb substrate with supported LaNiPt active component has been tested in partial oxidation of methane as a model reaction at high gas velocities. Rather high rates of mass transfer are achieved for the conditions under study and the regions are defined with the operation mode where chemical kinetics is rate-controlling. The numerical analysis allows contribution of the direct route of methane oxidation into synthesis gas to be evaluated and some kinetic parameters of main reactions to be estimated. Suggested design of the lab-scale reactor with separate one-channel structural element of a real monolithic catalyst is shown to be promising for kinetic studies under severe conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.