Very low sulfur content hydrocarbon gas is achieved by sequentially contacting the gas first with zinc oxide and then with nickel metal. This has reduced the total sulfur content of natural gas feed for a fluid bed syngas generator to less than 0.1 ppm and has resulted in greater syngas productivity. A zinc oxide guard bed downstream of the syngas generator reduces the total sulfur content of the syngas to less than 10 vppb and preferably less than 5 vppb. This very low sulfur content syngas is used for sulfur sensitive processes, such as hydrocarbon synthesis. The process is especially useful for natural gas which contains H.sub.2 S, COS, mercaptans and other sulfur bearing compounds.