* Copper prices seen moving in a narrow range * Market concerned about growing copper stocks By Rujun Shen and Edmund Klamann SHANGHAI, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Copper prices were steady on Thursday, as a weak U.S. dollar continued to lend support but growing copper stocks weighed. The U.S. dollar hovered just above a 15-month low against a basket of major currencies hit on Wednesday, on the view that U.S. interest rates will remain low well into next year. [USD/] This helped offset the seventh straight day of gains for LME copper stocks, up 3,175 tonnes on Wednesday to 397,325 tonnes, the highest in more than six months. "If stocks keep growing, even if investors are bullish over next year, prices could still head down," said Liu Xu, an analyst at China International Futures, adding that the weak dollar would provide a buffer against lower prices. Shanghai's benchmark third-month futures contract SCFc3 edged up 0.5 percent to end at 51,040 yuan a tonne. Shanghai copper prices have been moving in a narrow range of about 1,400 yuan in the past nine sessions. The most-active contract for February delivery SCFG0 rose 0.7 percent to 51,250 yuan a tonne. Three-month copper futures on the London Metal Exchange MCU3 gained $20 to $6,560 a tonne by 0703 GMT. Chile's state copper think tank, Cochilco, raised its copper price forecast for 2010 to an average of $2.70 per lb from $2.10 per lb, citing robust Chinese demand and economic recovery. It also lowered its forecast for Chile's 2009 copper output to 5.38 million tonnes. [ID:nN11362004] Codelco, the world's top copper producer, will start talks with its Chinese customers next week, after it raised term premiums to Japanese and Korean buyers. [ID:nN09217041] LME tin MSN3 shed $85 to $14,640 a tonne. The cash-to-3-month spread MSN0-3 dropped to $62, its lowest level since late June. Base metals prices at 0703 GMT Metal Last Change Pct Move End 2008 Pct chg 09 LME Cu 6560.00 20.00 +0.31 3060.00 114.38 SHFE Cu* 51040.00 270.00 +0.53 23840.00 114.09 LME Alum 1955.00 -9.00 -0.46 1535.00 27.36 SHFE Alum* 15150.00 35.00 +0.23 11540.00 31.28 COMEX Cu** 296.15 0.00 +0.00 139.50 112.29 LME Zinc 2190.00 6.00 +0.27 1208.00 81.29 SHFE Zinc 16950.00 225.00 +1.35 10120.00 67.49 LME Nickel 17000.00 150.00 +0.89 11700.00 45.30 LME Lead 2310.00 5.50 +0.24 999.00 131.23 LME Tin 14640.00 -85.00 -0.58 10700.00 36.82 LME/Shanghai arb^ 1352 Dollar/yuan 6.8262 \ 6.8268 ** 1st contract month for COMEX copper * 3rd contact month for SHFE aluminium, copper and zinc ^ LME 3-m copper in yuan, including 17 pct VAT, minus SHFE third month (Editing by Michael Urquhart)

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