1. n. [Geology]
A bounding surface in a reservoir above which predominantly oil occurs and below which predominantly water occurs. Although oil and water are immiscible, the contact between oil and water is commonly a transition zone and there is usually irreducible water adsorbed by the grains in the rock and immovable oil that cannot be produced. The oil-water contact is not always a flat horizontal surface, but instead might be tilted or irregular.
Alternate Form: OWC
See: downdip, fluid contact, gas-oil contact, gas-water contact, immiscible, miscible, reservoir, updip