A method for the production of a composition comprising: (a) admixing: 1) a liquid, 2) a zinc-containing compound, 3) a silica-containing material, and 4) alumina so as to form a mixture thereof, wherein the liquid is a solvent capable of dispersing a zinc-containing compound, a silica-containing compound, and alumina, and wherein said mixture is in the form of one of a wet mix, dough, paste, or slurry; (b) drying said mixture so as to form a first dried mixture; (c) calcining said first dried mixture so as to form a first calcined mixture; (d) incorporating a promoter into or onto said first calcined mixture so as to form a promoted mixture, wherein said promoter comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, silver, tin, antimony, vanadium, gold, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, chromium, palladium, titanium, zirconium, rhodium, rhenium, and combinations of any two or more thereof; (e) contacting said promoted mixture with an acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, tartaric acid, and combinations thereof to form a contacted mixture; (f) drying said contacted mixture to form a second dried mixture; (g) calcining said second dried mixture so as to form a second calcined mixture; (h) reducing said second calcined mixture with a reducing agent being hydrogen at a temperature in the range of from about 37.8°C to about 815.5°C and at a pressure in the range of from about 15 to about 1500 psia (1.034x10 5 Pa to 1.034x10 7 Pa) and for a time sufficient to permit the formation of a reduced valence promoter, to produce a composition having a reduced valence promoter content therein, and (i) recovering said composition; wherein the composition is a particulate in the form of one of granules, extrudates, tablets, spheres, pellets, or microspheres. (a) admixing: 1) a liquid, 2) a zinc-containing compound, 3) a silica-containing material, and 4) alumina so as to form a mixture thereof, wherein the liquid is a solvent capable of dispersing a zinc-containing compound, a silica-containing compound, and alumina, and wherein said mixture is in the form of one of a wet mix, dough, paste, or slurry; (b) drying said mixture so as to form a first dried mixture; (c) calcining said first dried mixture so as to form a first calcined mixture; (d) incorporating a promoter into or onto said first calcined mixture so as to form a promoted mixture, wherein said promoter comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten, silver, tin, antimony, vanadium, gold, platinum, ruthenium, iridium, chromium, palladium, titanium, zirconium, rhodium, rhenium, and combinations of any two or more thereof; (e) contacting said promoted mixture with an acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, tartaric acid, and combinations thereof to form a contacted mixture; (f) drying said contacted mixture to form a second dried mixture; (g) calcining said second dried mixture so as to form a second calcined mixture; (h) reducing said second calcined mixture with a reducing agent being hydrogen at a temperature in the range of from about 37.8°C to about 815.5°C and at a pressure in the range of from about 15 to about 1500 psia (1.034x10 5 Pa to 1.034x10 7 Pa) and for a time sufficient to permit the formation of a reduced valence promoter, to produce a composition having a reduced valence promoter content therein, and (i) recovering said composition;