Nickel is an effective component for the steam reforming of methane in terms of the catalytic activity and the catalyst cost. When Ni catalysts are applied to dry reforming, oxidative reforming, and catalytic partial oxidation, it is necessary to add the properties of high resistance to oxidation, hot spot formation, and coke deposition, to the Ni catalysts. An efficient method for giving these properties while considering the catalyst cost is the modification of Ni metal particles with small amounts of noble metals. An important point is that preparation methods can affect the structure of noble metal-Ni bimetallic particles, which is connected to the catalytic performances. The additive effects of noble metals on the catalytic performances are summarized in terms of activity, suppression of Ni oxidation, carbon formation, self-activation, and sustainability in the daily startup and shutdown operations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.