Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN 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
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0287
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
KANTOR GREGG S
   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS CO [NWN] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
President & CEO
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
220 NW SECOND AVE		 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/07/2012
(Street)

PORTLAND, OR 97209		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 12/07/2012   G V 292 D $ 0 23,318.5922 (1) D  
Common Stock 01/17/2013   J V 391 (2) D $ 0 2,606.262 I See Footnote (3)
Common Stock 01/17/2013   J V 391 (2) A $ 0 23,709.5922 D  
Common Stock 01/17/2013   S   208 (4) D $ 43.6664 2,398.262 I See Footnote (3)
Common Stock               3,421.8466 I See Footnote (5)
Common Stock               200 I See Footnote (6)
Common Stock               570 I See Footnote (7)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 34.29               (8) 02/29/2016 Common Stock 3,000   3,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.48               (9) 02/28/2017 Common Stock 7,000   7,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 43.29               (10) 03/06/2018 Common Stock 8,000   8,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 41.15               (11) 03/04/2019 Common Stock 25,000   25,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 44.25               (12) 03/02/2020 Common Stock 30,000   30,000 D  
Employee Stock Option to Buy $ 45.74               (13) 03/02/2021 Common Stock 30,000   30,000 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
KANTOR GREGG S
220 NW SECOND AVE
PORTLAND, OR 97209		   X     President & CEO  

Signatures

 Shawn M. Filippi, Attorney-in-Fact   01/22/2013
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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) Balance includes 483 ESPP shares allocated on 12/31/2012.
(2) Shares were transferred from Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Executives account to reporting person's registered account.
(3) Shares have been credited to reporting person's account under the issuer's Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Executives.
(4) These shares were issued in connection with the Reporting Person's elections on 12/5/2008 (for shares acquired in 2008) and on 12/8/2008 (for shares acquired in 2009) to participate in Northwest Natural Gas Company Deferred Compensation Plan for Directors and Executives (DCP), which specifies that taxes shall be withheld from distributions. Pursuant to the Plan and the Reporting Person's elections on the dates stated hereinabove, these shares were sold to pay taxes on the DCP distribution made on 1/17/2013.
(5) Held in reporting person's account under issuer's Retirement K Savings Plan as of December 31, 2012.
(6) Shares held in reporting person's parent's account, with respect to which the reporting person is Power of Attorney and a potential beneficiary.
(7) Held in reporting person's parent's IRA account, with respect to which the reporting person is Power of Attorney and a potential beneficiary.
(8) Option was granted for 3,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2010.
(9) Option was granted for 7,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2011.
(10) Option was granted for 8,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2012.
(11) Option was granted for 25,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option fully vested on January 1, 2013.
(12) Option was granted for 30,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 7,500 shares on each February 24, 2011 and January 1, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
(13) Option was granted for 30,000 shares pursuant to Northwest Natural Gas Company's Restated Stock Option Plan (the "Plan"). The option vests in installments of 7,500 shares on each February 23, 2012 and January 1, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.