Ownership Submission
FORM 3
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
  White J Keith
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
01/01/2007
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS CO [NWN]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
220 NW SECOND AVENUE
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Vice President
5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
(Street)

PORTLAND, OR 97209
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4)
3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Common Stock 1,888
D
 
Common Stock 469.2681
I
See Note (1)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4)
4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)
Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option to Buy   (2) 03/04/2014 Common Stock 4,000 $ 31.34 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy   (3) 02/29/2016 Common Stock 2,500 $ 34.29 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
White J Keith
220 NW SECOND AVENUE
PORTLAND, OR 97209
      Vice President  

Signatures

C.J. Rue, Attorney-in-Fact 01/04/2007
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Shares are credited to reporting person's account pursuant to issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of December 31, 2006.
(2) Option vested in installments of 1,700 shares on each of February 25, 2005 and January 1, 2006 and an additional 1,600 shares vested on January 1, 2007.
(3) Option vests in four equal installments of 625 shares on February 22, 2007, January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, See Instruction 6 for procedure.

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