fwl meaning in oil and gas

Elevation of a gas-water or oil-water contact free of capillary effects, i.e. the level of the fluid contact in a very wide borehole. Formal defintion is the depth in the reservoir where the pressure in the oil or gas phase is equal to the pressure in the water phase. e.g. intercept of oil and water pressure gradient from RFT data. NOT the same as the oil-water or gas-water contact which is influence by capillary effects. Above the FWL a well will only flow hydrocarbons, not free water (unless you suck really hard).