A gasification apparatus comprising: a gasification zone that includes three to four gasification hearths ; a burn-up zone continuous with the gasification zone, the burn-up zone including one to two burn-up hearths , wherein the gasification and burn-up zones are effective for providing a raw syngas having a CO/CO 2 molar ratio greater than about 0.75 and ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.1; and a tar destruction zone effective for receiving the raw syngas from the gasification and burn-up zones through a connecting zone providing a reaction time in the tar reduction zone in a range of about 0.5 to about 5 seconds, wherein there are: i) gas inlets for introduction of a first molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the gasification zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed horizontally inside one or more gasification hearths. ii) gas inlets for introduction of a second molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the burn-up zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed vertically in one or more burn-up hearths, and iii) one or more gas inlets attached to the connecting zone, wherein the gasification zone includes an entry hearth for introduction of carbonaceous feed and no gas inlet is attached to the entry hearth . a gasification zone that includes three to four gasification hearths ; a burn-up zone continuous with the gasification zone, the burn-up zone including one to two burn-up hearths , wherein the gasification and burn-up zones are effective for providing a raw syngas having a CO/CO 2 molar ratio greater than about 0.75 and ratio of carbon content of solid ash to carbon content of carbonaceous material feed is less than about 0.1; and a tar destruction zone effective for receiving the raw syngas from the gasification and burn-up zones through a connecting zone providing a reaction time in the tar reduction zone in a range of about 0.5 to about 5 seconds, wherein there are: i) gas inlets for introduction of a first molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the gasification zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed horizontally inside one or more gasification hearths. ii) gas inlets for introduction of a second molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the burn-up zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed vertically in one or more burn-up hearths, and iii) one or more gas inlets attached to the connecting zone, i) gas inlets for introduction of a first molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the gasification zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed horizontally inside one or more gasification hearths. ii) gas inlets for introduction of a second molecular oxygen containing gas attached to one or more hearths in the burn-up zone, and such that molecular oxygen containing gas is distributed vertically in one or more burn-up hearths, and iii) one or more gas inlets attached to the connecting zone, wherein the gasification zone includes an entry hearth for introduction of carbonaceous feed and no gas inlet is attached to the entry hearth . <EOS>