Short contact time catalytic partial oxidation (SCT-CPO) of natural gas is a promising technology for syngas production, representing an appealing alternative to existing processes. This process is likely to become more important in the future due to its advantages in thermodynamics, mildly exothermic overall reaction, H(2)/CO ratio of 2, ideal for downstream processes. The present work refers to an experimental study of syngas production from CH(4) and O(2) via a SCT-CPO reactor made of a fixed bed of Rh/Al(2)O(3) spheres, with Rh deposited in egg-shell or egg-yolk configuration. In the WHSV range from 120 to 470 Nl h (1) g(cat) (1), five different fixed bed structures were investigated. The best performances in term of CH(4) conversion and H(2) selectivity, together with no coke formation, were obtained with an physical mixture of egg-shell and egg-yolk catalysts at WHSV values of 150-300 Nl h (1) g(cat) (1). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.