The kinetic behavior of the Ru/TiO2 catalyst in the pal tial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas was investigated as a function of temperature and partial pressures of CH4 and O-2. It was found that the catalyst promotes, to a large extent the direct formation of CO and H-2 from the reaction of methane and oxygen while the reforming and water-gas shift reactions are negligible under these conditions. A kinetic model, based on formation of CO and H-2 as primary products and of CO2 and H2O as secondary oxidation products, describes satisfactorily the observed kinetic behavior Values of model parameters satisfy thermodynamic constraints and agree well with data derived from surface science techniques and kinetic studies of elementary surface processes that are in the literature.