catalyst may then be contacted with a gaseous stream containing an elemental halogen or a halogen containing compound and oxygen or water or hydrogen halide and elemental oxygen at a preferred temperature of 450 u00b0 c to 550 u00b0 c the halogen is required for substantially complete redispersion of the catalyst and the elemental oxygen aids the removal of small quantities of carbon deposits which may remain after decoking and improves redispersion efficiency the halogen gases are selected from the group consisting of fluorine chlorine bromine and iodine and more preferably chlorine halogen containing compounds include haloalkanes such as methyl chlorides the hydrogen halide gases are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen fluoride hydrogen chloride hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide with hydrogen chloride being preferred the elemental oxygen may be present in the gaseous atmosphere in the amount of about 0 05 vol to about 25 vol and the hydrogen halide may be present in the atmosphere in the amount of 0 05 vol to about 5 vol the preferred volume ratio of halogen or hydrogen halide to elemental oxygen ranges from about 0 05 to about 0 5 with a more preferable ratio of 0 067 to 0 2 the gaseous halide and hydrogen halide atmosphere may also contain inert gases such as nitrogen helium or carbon dioxide from the combustion processes as well as water vapor after redispersion the catalyst is then preferably reduced prior to its use in the reforming or.