Method for the thermal conversion of methane to hydrocarbons of higher molecular weights

A method for the thermal conversion of methane to hydrocarbons of higher molecular weight in a continuous multichannel zone of ceramic material, consisting of a plurality of adjacent channels, said channels forming alternate rows of two different sets, the channels of the rows of the first set having means for introducing a fluid and means for discharging same, said channels extending over the entire length of the zone and the channels of the rows of the second set also extending over the entire length of the zone and being divided in at least one first and at least one second section, not communicating with one another, by an intermediate partition, each section having fluid introduction and discharge means, the channels of the rows of the first set not communicating with the channels of the rows of the second set, said method comprising circulating a gaseous mixture containing a molar percentage of methane of between 10 and 99% in the channels of the rows of the first set, circulating a heat exchange fluid in the channels of said first section of the rows of the second set, circulating a cooling fluid in the channels of said second section of the rows of the second set such that conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons comprising a major amount of ethylene and aromatics takes place, and collecting said hydrocarbons of higher molecular weights at the end of the channels of the rows of the first set, wherein an effective amount of at least one initiator reagent comprising oxygen ozone or hydrogen peroxide is introduced into the gaseous mixture, said mixture being previously heated to a temperature of at least 300.degree. C., before introducing said mixture into the channels of the rows of the first set, said initiator reagent being introduced in a quantity expressed in gram-atom oxygen percentage with respect to the quantity of methane expressed in mol of 0.01 to 10%.