diff --git a/opm/autodiff/FlowMain.hpp b/opm/autodiff/FlowMain.hpp
index 36552e709..e0990f57c 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/FlowMain.hpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/FlowMain.hpp
@@ -252,9 +252,57 @@ namespace Opm
 #endif
         }
 
+        /// checks cartesian adjacency of global indices g1 and g2
+        bool cartesianAdjacent(const Grid& grid, int g1, int g2) {
+            // we need cartDims from UgGridHelpers
+            using namespace UgGridHelpers;
+
+            int diff = std::abs(g1 - g2);
+
+            const int * dimens = cartDims(grid);
+            if (diff == 1)
+               return true;
+            if (diff == dimens[0])
+               return true;
+            if (diff == dimens[0] * dimens[1])
+               return true;
+
+            return false;
+        }
 
 
+        /// Write the NNC structure of the given grid to NNC.
+        ///
+        /// Write cell adjacencies beyond Cartesian neighborhoods to NNC.
+        ///
+        /// The trans vector is indexed by face number as it is in grid.
+        void exportNncStructure(NNC& nnc, const Grid& grid, const std::vector<double>& trans) {
+            // we use numFaces, numCells, cell2Faces, globalCell from UgGridHelpers
+            using namespace UgGridHelpers;
 
+            size_t num_faces = numFaces(grid);
+            if (trans.size() > 0 && trans.size() != num_faces) {
+                throw std::logic_error(
+                    "non-empty trans vector with wrong dimension.");
+            }
+
+            auto fc = faceCells(grid);
+            for (size_t i = 0; i < num_faces; ++i) {
+                auto c1 = fc(i, 0);
+                auto c2 = fc(i, 1);
+
+                if (c1 == -1 || c2 == -1)
+                    continue; // face on grid boundary
+                // translate from active cell idx (ac1,ac2) to global cell idx
+                c1 = globalCell(grid) ? globalCell(grid)[c1] : c1;
+                c2 = globalCell(grid) ? globalCell(grid)[c2] : c2;
+                if (!cartesianAdjacent(grid, c1, c2)) {
+                    // suppose c1,c2 is specified in ECLIPSE input
+                    // we here overwrite its trans by grid's
+                    nnc.addNNC(c1, c2, trans[i]);
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
         // Print startup message if on output rank.
         void printStartupMessage()
@@ -676,7 +724,8 @@ namespace Opm
             const auto initConfig = eclipse_state_->getInitConfig();
             simtimer.init(timeMap, (size_t)initConfig->getRestartStep());
 
-
+            Opm::NNC nnc = eclipse_state_->getNNC(); // copy, otherwise we write to ecl_state
+            exportNncStructure(nnc, grid_init_->grid(), trans_);
 
             if (!schedule->initOnly()) {
                 if (output_cout_) {
@@ -704,10 +753,11 @@ namespace Opm
                     fullReport.reportParam(tot_os);
                 }
             } else {
-                output_writer_->writeInit( simtimer );
+                output_writer_->writeInit( simtimer, geoprops_->nnc() );
                 if (output_cout_) {
                     std::cout << "\n\n================ Simulation turned off ===============\n" << std::flush;
                 }
+
             }
             return EXIT_SUCCESS;
         }
diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorBase_impl.hpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorBase_impl.hpp
index 0fc696db1..e401f1ddf 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorBase_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorBase_impl.hpp
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ namespace Opm
         }
 
         // init output writer
-        output_writer_.writeInit( timer );
+        output_writer_.writeInit( timer, geo_.nnc() );
 
         std::string restorefilename = param_.getDefault("restorefile", std::string("") );
         if( ! restorefilename.empty() )
diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilMultiSegment_impl.hpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilMultiSegment_impl.hpp
index 77ec6c5ea..b775bcc93 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilMultiSegment_impl.hpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilMultiSegment_impl.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace Opm
         }
 
         // init output writer
-        output_writer_.writeInit( timer );
+        output_writer_.writeInit( timer, geo_.nnc());
 
         std::string restorefilename = param_.getDefault("restorefile", std::string("") );
         if( ! restorefilename.empty() )
diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
index b6749454f..b54105923 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.cpp
@@ -246,10 +246,10 @@ namespace Opm
 
     void
     BlackoilOutputWriter::
-    writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& timer)
+    writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& timer, const NNC& nnc)
     {
         if( eclWriter_ ) {
-            eclWriter_->writeInit(timer);
+            eclWriter_->writeInit(timer, nnc);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
index fa54b4325..2458b68b0 100644
--- a/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
+++ b/opm/autodiff/SimulatorFullyImplicitBlackoilOutput.hpp
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ namespace Opm
         {}
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeInit */
-        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& /* timer */)
+        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& /* timer */, const NNC& nnc)
         {}
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeTimeStep */
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ namespace Opm
         {}
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeInit */
-        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& /* timer */)
+        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface& /* timer */, const NNC& nnc)
         {}
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeTimeStep */
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ namespace Opm
                              const double* permeability );
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeInit */
-        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface &timer);
+        void writeInit(const SimulatorTimerInterface &timer, const NNC& nnc);
 
         /** \copydoc Opm::OutputWriter::writeTimeStep */
         void writeTimeStep(const SimulatorTimerInterface& timer,