The pyrolysis and steam gasification of catalyst-loaded Loy Yang brown coal (LY) in a fluidized bed in order to develop an efficient low temperature utilization process of low-rank coal. The six types of metal-loaded LY (LY-M, M=Ni, Co, Ca, K, Cu and Zn) were prepared by ion exchange method. LY and LY-Ms were subjected to pyrolysis and steam gasification in a fluidized bed of the LY-M chars or silica sand. The total gas yield was increased by adding metal catalysts. The effect of LY-Ca on the gas yield was large. The tar composition distribution depended on the type of metal species, indicating that product distribution could be controlled by the metal catalyst and experimental conditions.