<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> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1999 <PERIOD-END> JUN-30-2000 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 910,162 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 16,542 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 100,563 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 93,850 <OTHER-ASSETS> 51,060 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,172,177 <COMMON> 79,750 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 236,597 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 135,580 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 451,927 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 34,000 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 396,080 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 0 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 10,307 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 10,000 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 793 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 948 <LEASES-CURRENT> 556 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 267,566 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 1,172,177 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 272,713 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 17,717 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 208,942 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 226,659 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 46,054 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 4,572 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 50,626 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 16,501 <NET-INCOME> 34,125 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 1,244 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 32,881 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 15,585 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 14,920 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 103,445 <EPS-BASIC> 0.07 <EPS-DILUTED> 0.07