GREAT OFFSHORE LTD. vs IRANIAN OFFSHORE ENG&CONSTN. CO.

The Supreme Court ruled on the petition filed by Great Offshore Limited under Section 11(5), (6), (9), and (12) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, seeking the appointment of a sole arbitrator. The Court held that the existence of a valid contract with an arbitration clause must be established before arbitration can be ordered. The Court found that the parties had not reached a concluded contract, as evidenced by the correspondence and the conditional nature of the letters exchanged, thus denying the petition for arbitration.