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 *   Williams David R 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 643.147 D   Common Stock 1,203.0951 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)	03/03/2008	Common Stock	1,500	$ 27.875	D	Â
Employee Stock Option to Buy	  (3)	03/05/2012	Common Stock	2,500	$ 26.3	D	Â
Employee Stock Option to Buy	  (4)	03/04/2014	Common Stock	3,000	$ 31.34	D	Â
Employee Stock Option to Buy	  (5)	02/29/2016	Common Stock	2,500	$ 34.29	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Williams David R 220 NW SECOND AVENUE PORTLAND, OR 97209	Â	Â	  Vice President	Â

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 have been credited to reporting person's account under the issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of December 31, 2006.
(2)	Option vested in three equal installments of 500 shares on February 25, 1999, January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2001.
(3)	Option vested in three installments, 900 shares on February 27, 2003 and 800 shares on each of January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005.
(4)	Option vested in three equal installments of 1,000 shares on February 25, 2005, January 1, 2006 and January 1, 2007.
(5)	Option vests in four equal installments of 625 shares on February 22, 2007, January 1, 2008, January 1, 2009 and January 1, 2010.

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