To maximize hydrogen production from coke oven gas (COG), partial oxidation of methane in COG was studied thermodynamically and experimentally. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that an optimal hydrogen yield of 1.04-1.10 mole per mole of the consumed COG can be achieved when the initial ratio of O-2 and CH4 is 0.57-0.46 in a temperature range of 800-900 degrees C, and the corresponding amplification of original hydrogen in COG reaches 1.8-1.9 times. The amplification of original hydrogen was carried out in a BaCo0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-delta (BCFNO) membrane reactor, and the hydrogen yield in the lab scale was about 80% more than that of original H-2 in model COG. In a large hydrogen content in COG, the ceramic membrane reactors made from perovskite mixed-conducting oxygen-permeable materials must have higher stability to withstand the harsh reduction condition. (C) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.