diff --git a/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.cpp b/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.cpp
index 94d8b0fa..68faf8af 100644
--- a/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.cpp
+++ b/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.cpp
@@ -63,3 +63,42 @@ SimulatorState::registerFaceData( const std::string& name, const int components,
     return pos ;
 }
 
+template <typename Props> void
+SimulatorState::setFirstSat(const std::vector<int>& cells,
+                            const Props& props,
+                            ExtremalSat es)
+{
+    if (cells.empty()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    int n = cells.size();
+    std::vector<double> smin(num_phases_*n);
+    std::vector<double> smax(num_phases_*n);
+    props.satRange(n, &cells[0], &smin[0], &smax[0]);
+    std::vector< double >& sat = saturation();
+    const double* svals = (es == MinSat) ? &smin[0] : &smax[0];
+    for (int ci = 0; ci < n; ++ci) {
+        const int cell = cells[ci];
+        sat[num_phases_*cell] = svals[num_phases_*ci];
+        sat[num_phases_*cell + 1] = 1.0 - sat[num_phases_*cell];
+    }
+}
+
+// template instantiations for all known (to this library) subclasses
+// of SimulatorState that will call this method. notice that there are
+// no empty angle brackets after "template" -- that would have been
+// specialization instead
+#include <opm/core/props/BlackoilPropertiesInterface.hpp>
+#include <opm/core/props/IncompPropertiesInterface.hpp>
+
+template void
+SimulatorState::setFirstSat <IncompPropertiesInterface> (
+        const std::vector<int> &cells,
+        const IncompPropertiesInterface &props,
+        ExtremalSat es);
+
+template void
+SimulatorState::setFirstSat <BlackoilPropertiesInterface> (
+        const std::vector<int> &cells,
+        const BlackoilPropertiesInterface &props,
+        ExtremalSat es);
diff --git a/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.hpp b/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.hpp
index 6748454d..3487d711 100644
--- a/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.hpp
+++ b/opm/core/simulator/SimulatorState.hpp
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ namespace Opm
 
         virtual void init(int number_of_cells, int number_of_faces, int num_phases);
 
+        enum ExtremalSat { MinSat, MaxSat };
+
     protected:
         /// \brief pressure per cell.
         static const int pressureId_ = 0;
@@ -30,6 +32,18 @@ namespace Opm
         /// \brief The fluxes at the faces.
         static const int faceFluxId_ = 1;
 
+        /**
+         * Initialize the first saturation to maximum value. This method
+         * should be considered deprecated. Avoid to use it!
+         *
+         * \tparam Props Fluid and rock properties that pertain to this
+         *               kind of simulation. Currently, only Blackoil-
+         *               and IncompPropertiesInterface are supported.
+         */
+        template <typename Props>
+        void setFirstSat(const std::vector<int>& cells,
+                         const Props& props,
+                         ExtremalSat es);
     public:
         int numPhases() const { return num_phases_; }
         int numCells () const { return num_cells_; }