The nature of the active sites in nickel(II)-exchanged sulfated alumina in the reaction of ethene oligomerization has been studied by means of FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO. It has been established that isolated nickel(I) species are the active sites in this process. These sites are formed by a reduction process, in which protonic centers are involved. The latter are due to the presence of covalently-bonded sulfate ions on the catalyst surface.