<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> 12-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1999 <PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1999 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 895,029 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 17,451 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 183,055 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 97,828 <OTHER-ASSETS> 51,060 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,244,423 <COMMON> 79,458 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 234,608 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 115,530 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 429,596 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 34,750 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 396,379 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 94,149 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 10,000 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 814 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 278,735 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,244,423 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 455,834 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 24,591 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 361,066 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 385,657 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 70,177 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 5,171 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 75,348 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 30,052 <NET-INCOME> 45,296 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 2,515 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 42,781 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 30,569 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 26,192 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 108,521 <EPS-BASIC> 1.71 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.70