Reliance Industries Ltd and Anor v The Union of India - 2018 EWHC 822 Comm - 16 April 2018
Country
Year
2018
Summary
Introduction
In these proceedings the Claimants make nine challenges to parts of an arbitration award dated 12 October 2016 ("the Award"). The challenges are made variously under the provisions of sections 67, 68 and 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 ("the 1996 Act").
The dispute between the parties arises under two Production Sharing Contracts ("PSCs") entered into on 22 December 1994 by which the Union of India (the Defendant to these proceedings, referred to as "the Government") granted to "the Contractor" the exclusive right to exploit petroleum resources discovered in two areas off the west coast of India for a period of 25 years. One area comprises fields known as "Mid Tapti" and "South Tapti"; the other, fields known as "Panna" and "Mukta". For that reason the PSCs have been referred to as the "Tapti PSC" and the "Panna Mukta PSC". The PSCs are in similar, but not identical, terms. Tapti is a gas field, and Panna Mukta is principally an oil field albeit producing some associated natural gas. The "Contractor" comprises the two Claimants and a third entity, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd ("ONGC"), for their participating interests of 30%, 30% and 40% respectively. ONGC is controlled by the Government and on the direction of the Government has taken no part in the arbitration....