NEW YORK, Dec 18 - U.S. copper futures ended in
positive territory on Friday, recovering from an earlier slide
to one-week lows with chart-based buying and firmer outside
market support outweighing the bearish impact of a rising
dollar. For detailed report on global copper markets, click on
[MET/L]

* Benchmark copper for March delivery HGH0 ended up 1.05
cents at $3.1385 a lb on the New York Mercantile Exchange's
COMEX division.

* Range ran from $3.1540 to $3.1030, its lowest level since
Dec. 10.

* Copper market building a base around the $3.10 area -
Frank Cholly, senior market strategist with Lind-Waldock.

* COMEX estimated futures volume at 17,776 lots by 1 p.m.
EST (1800 GMT). Final volume on Thursday hit 23,662 lots. * Open interest down 1,493 lots at 147,321 contracts open
as of Dec. 17. * Copper up in sympathy with precious metals and energy
complexes, as well as slightly positive tone in equities -
Cholly. * Copper gains buck bearish impact of stronger dollar,
which was on track for its biggest weekly gain against the euro
since April. [USD/] * London Metal Exchange copper warehouse stocks added
another 1,775 tonnes to an eight-month peak at 476,350 tonnes.
<0#LME-STOCKS> * Deliverable copper inventories in warehouses monitored by
the Shanghai Futures Exchange jumped 9 percent to 104,377
tonnes from 95,676 tonnes a week earlier. [ID:nBJD003338] * COMEX copper warehouse stocks jumped 1,616 short tons to
96,105 short tons as of Thursday. CMWSU * Copper supported by news of impending strike action by
union workers at Chile's Altonorte copper smelter after they
rejected a wage offer from owner Xstrata (XTA.L).
[ID:nN17186419] * LME three-month copper MCU3 untraded at the close, but
bid at $6,845 a tonne from $6,870 on Thursday.
(Reporting by Chris Kelly)

Copper