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We know the base reaction which is occurring is this...
CH4 + H2O------>CO + 3H2
Under normal circumstances, this will drive towards the CH4 end, but the addition of a catalyst will prevent that. However, you've got to get the water in the first place. The way to get that is through oxydative pyrolysis of the CH4....
CH4 + O2------>CO + H2 +H2O
So, in order for the equations to produce the amounts of H2 and such we see, they need to be balanced as such...
3CH4 + 3O2----->3CO + 3H2 + 3H2O (1)
3H2O + CH4----->CO + 5H2 (2)
What has to be prevented is the CO oxidising to CO2, which means the CH4 must react with the water before it photodissociates in any UV light. The way to do that is to have one reaction occur higher up in the atmosphere than the other....in this case reaction (1) occurring in the upper atmosphere and (2) further down. That would mean large scale rapid vertical atmospheric turnover...strong convection. Some water would have to be broken up to get the O2, so not all of it is getting away. In lieu of the UV, the heat should breakup the water molecules.
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