So far, public and private initiatives in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile have failed to deliver even a single lithium cell factory.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice only allowed the suit to deal with alleged misrepresentations in the company’s 2012 environmental disclosures related to the long-stalled Pascua-Lama project.

The company's value has halved since May, when a proposed referendum on mining casted doubts on the miner's future in the Andean country.

The Canadian miner now owns about 20% of Western Atlas and says is on track to meet its 2019 production target of between 225,000 and 240,000 ounces.

Operations have been disrupted since Sept. 22, with roadblocks stopping shipments from and supplies to the mine.