A gasification process in which gasification of lump size gas producing material, such as coal, is carried out under high pressure on a fixed-bed principle with a continuous feed of coal particles thereto, the continuous feed being accomplished by feeding coal of an appropriate particle size range into a volume of liquid within a first confinement path through a free surface thereof exposed to atmospheric conditions, collecting successive incremental volumes of particles and entrained liquid and transferring them into a liquid within a second circuitous confinement path maintained under pressure by virtue of the exposure of the free surface of a volume thereof with the gasification pressure conditions, conveying the particles of the incremental volumes communicated with the second path through a pumping action upstream of the particle communication therewith, collecting the particles in the volume and moving them upwardly through the free surface thereof into the gasification zone.