<ARTICLE>                                                   UT
<LEGEND>

     This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the
consolidated financial statements and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<CIK>                                            0000073020
<NAME>                                           Northwest Natural Gas Company
       
                                                         
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                               9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                           DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                                SEP-30-1998
<BOOK-VALUE>                                                PER-BOOK
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                                        823,057
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                                       97,986
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                                            68,876
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                                          94,142
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                                    56,860
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                                 1,140,921
<COMMON>                                                          78,512
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                                        228,290
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                                              106,693
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                                   413,495
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                             35,569
<PREFERRED>                                                            0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                                             346,953
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                                                     0
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                                              0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                                    75,056
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                                     10,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                                            930
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                                            0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                                       0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                                   258,918
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                                  1,140,921
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                                        273,161
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                                               9,442
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                       225,982
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                                       235,424
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                                           37,737
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                                 7,237
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                                    44,974
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                          23,615
<NET-INCOME>                                                      21,359
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                        1,939
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                                     19,420
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                                          22,050
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                                         18,704
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                                            65,917
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                                      $0.81
<EPS-DILUTED>                                                      $0.80