An innovative way of catalysis was tested for its potential to reduce the amount of hydrocarbons produced during pyrolysis of oak wood. The experiments were carried out in a horizontal tubular reactor fed with a controlled flowrate of Nitrogen and equipped with accessories to collect char, liquid and gaseous products. Pyrolysis was done at 700°C with a Nickel or Iron based catalyst introduced inside the wood matrix by wet impregnation. In addition, a blank run was undertaken in which the biomass was acid-washed to determine the impact of demineralization. The influences of the catalyst nature and of the catalyst content in the wood on the reduction of condensable organic compounds were determined. Depending on the experimental conditions, the liquid yield decreases from 7.3% to 31.9% when metals are inserted in the wood. Hydrocarbons are cracked into gaseous components and the concentration of H2 has a significant increase. These results showed that biomass impregnated with Nickel and Iron is a promising way to reduce condensable organic compounds produced during pyrolysis.