diff --git a/CMakeLists_files.cmake b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
index dd873158..755d331a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists_files.cmake
+++ b/CMakeLists_files.cmake
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ list (APPEND MAIN_SOURCE_FILES
 	opm/core/grid/cpgpreprocess/uniquepoints.c
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridInspector.cpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseWriter.cpp
+        opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.cpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseWriteRFTHandler.cpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.cpp
 	opm/core/io/OutputWriter.cpp
@@ -289,6 +290,7 @@ list (APPEND PUBLIC_HEADER_FILES
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseGridInspector.hpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseUnits.hpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseWriter.hpp
+        opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.hpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseWriteRFTHandler.hpp
 	opm/core/io/eclipse/writeECLData.hpp
 	opm/core/io/OutputWriter.hpp
diff --git a/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.cpp b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d7a871aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/*
+  Copyright 2015 Statoil ASA.
+
+  This file is part of the Open Porous Media project (OPM).
+
+  OPM is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+  it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+  the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+  (at your option) any later version.
+
+  OPM is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+  but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+  MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+  GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+  You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+  along with OPM. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+#include "EclipseReader.hpp"
+#include <iostream>
+#include <opm/core/simulator/WellState.hpp>
+
+#include <ert/ecl/ecl_file.h>
+
+namespace Opm
+{
+    void restoreOPM_XWELKeyword(const std::string restart_filename, int reportstep, WellState& wellstate)
+    {
+        const char * keyword = "OPM_XWEL";
+        const char* filename = restart_filename.c_str();
+
+        ecl_file_type* file_type = ecl_file_open(filename, 0);
+        bool block_selected = ecl_file_select_rstblock_report_step(file_type , reportstep);
+
+        if (block_selected) {
+            ecl_kw_type* xwel = ecl_file_iget_named_kw(file_type , keyword, 0);
+            const double* xwel_data = ecl_kw_get_double_ptr(xwel);
+            size_t offset = 0;
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < wellstate.bhp().size(); ++i) {
+                wellstate.bhp()[i] = xwel_data[offset++];
+            }
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < wellstate.perfPress().size(); ++i) {
+                wellstate.perfPress()[i] = xwel_data[offset++];
+            }
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < wellstate.perfRates().size(); ++i) {
+                wellstate.perfRates()[i] = xwel_data[offset++];
+            }
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < wellstate.temperature().size(); ++i) {
+                wellstate.temperature()[i] = xwel_data[offset++];
+            }
+
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < wellstate.wellRates().size(); ++i) {
+                wellstate.wellRates()[i] = xwel_data[offset++];
+            }
+        }
+    }
+} // namespace Opm
diff --git a/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.hpp b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..15868715
--- /dev/null
+++ b/opm/core/io/eclipse/EclipseReader.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#ifndef ECLIPSEREADER_HPP
+#define ECLIPSEREADER_HPP
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <opm/core/simulator/WellState.hpp>
+
+namespace Opm
+{
+///
+/// \brief restoreOPM_XWELKeyword
+///     Reading from the restart file, information stored under the OPM_XWEL keyword is in this method filled into
+///     an instance of a wellstate object.
+/// \param restart_filename
+///     The filename of the restart file.
+/// \param reportstep
+///     The report step to restart from.
+/// \param wellstate
+///     An instance of a WellState object, with correct size for each of the 5 contained std::vector<double> objects.
+///
+    void restoreOPM_XWELKeyword(const std::string restart_filename, int report_step, WellState& wellState);
+}
+
+#endif // ECLIPSEREADER_HPP