UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Wright, Terrance L.
5241 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89102
USA
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
7/15/97
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
###-##-####
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Southwest Gas Corporation
SWX
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned |
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1. Title of Security |2. Amount of |3. Ownership |4. Nature of Indirect |
| Securities | Form: | Beneficial Ownership |
| Beneficially | Direct(D) or | |
| Owned | Indirect(I) | |
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<S> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock |250 |D | |
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<CAPTION>
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Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned |
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1.Title of Derivative |2.Date Exer- |3.Title and Amount | |4. Conver-|5. Owner- |6. Nature of Indirect |
Security | cisable and | of Underlying | |sion or |ship | Beneficial Ownership |
| Expiration | Securities | |exercise |Form of | |
| Date(Month/ |-----------------------|---------|price of |Deriv- | |
| Day/Year) | |Amount |deri- |ative | |
| Date | Expira- | |or |vative |Security: | |
| Exer- | tion | Title |Number of|Security |Direct(D) or | |
| cisable | Date | |Shares | |Indirect(I) | |
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<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Stock Option |(1) |7/14/07 |Common Stock |1660 |$19.125 |D | |
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(right to buy) | | | | | | | |
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</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
(1) The option vests in three annual installments of 664 in 1998, 498 shares in
1999 and 498 shares in 2000,
beginning July 15,
1998.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Terrance L. Wright by Faye J. Ringler, Attorney in fact
DATE
7/24/97
