* Investors fear higher interest rates in China
* Ivernia sees resumption Australian lead mine ops shortly
* Rise in oil price will dampen copper price- Codelco
(Adds details, updates with closing prices)
By Melanie Burton and Silvia Antonioli
LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Copper prices fell to their lowest levels in nearly a month on Wednesday as worries over unrest in North Africa boosted oil prices, fanning concerns that inflation could weigh on the global economic recovery.
Three month copper on the London Metal Exchange closed at $9,425 a tonne, down from $9,580 at the close on Tuesday. Earlier, prices had reached their lowest since late January at $9,375.
The metal used in power and construction has slipped by about 8 percent from record highs at $10,190 hit mid-month.
"Concerns have been building with regards to the geopolitical situation in north Africa and the Middle East, which could have an impact on global economic growth," said analyst Gayle Berry of Barclays Capital.
"This is really shaking the market."
Defiant Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said he would not be forced out by the unrest sweeping Africa's third-largest oil producer, which helped push Brent crude prices to their highest since September 2008.
World stocks slid from recent 30-month highs due to the tensions.
Investors feared that surging energy prices may boost inflation growth and force the government in top metals consumer China, and elsewhere, to raise interest rates.
Markets were concerned that this could slow down the economy and weaken demand for base metals.
A further rise in crude oil prices will dampen copper prices, though demand from key buyers in China, the United States and Europe so far looks solid, a senior executive at the world's top copper producer Codelco said.
"This is not a metal-specific or fundamental-specific (downwards) move. I do feel that this is very much sentiment-driven," Berry said.
She added that fundamentals, especially for copper, remained positive but that metals prices will continue to suffer until the political tensions come to an end.
NICKEL DEFICIT SEEN
Brazilian miner Vale said on Friday it would lose around 5 percent of its total 2011 nickel production due to a 16-week shutdown of a smelter furnace.
The closure at its Copper Cliff smelter in Sudbury, Canada, stands to significantly weigh on supply and may push the market into deficit, said Standard Bank in a research note.
"The unexpected smelter closure ... now stands to put a significant dent in what had looked like being a balanced market, with major implications for outright prices and stock trends," it said.
"The loss in production is estimated at 15,000 tonnes. Before the stoppage, we forecast a surplus of only 1,000 tonnes."
Nickel finished at $28,700, from $28,650, despite inventories that have declined since mid-January as seasonal demand from the stainless sector picks up.
It hit its highest level since late April 2008 on Monday at $29,425 a tonne.
Elsewhere, news that the West Australian government has lifted an order blocking lead shipments to the port of Fremantle undermined support for the metal.
Battery material lead ended at $2,539 from a close of $2,565 a tonne.
"This explains some of the weakness in lead over the past two days," said a London metals trader.
Aluminium closed at $2,530 from $2,528 while tin, untraded in rings, was bid at $31,500 from $31,600.
Zinc, used in galvanising, closed at $2,495 from $2,490 Tuesday's close.
A key global miner and smelting firms agreed to 2011 benchmark zinc treatment charges of $229 per tonne based on a $2,500 per tonne London Metal Exchange (LME) zinc price, according to sources attending the International Zinc Association conference.
Metal Prices at 1740 GMT Comex copper in cents/lb, LME prices in $/T and SHFE prices in yuan/T Metal Last Change Percent Move End 2010 Ytd Percent
move COMEX Cu 426.45 -8.25 -1.90 444.70 -4.10 LME Alum 2530.00 2.00 +0.08 2470.00 2.43 LME Cu 9425.00 -385.00 -3.92 9600.00 -1.82 LME Lead 2538.50 -136.50 -5.10 2550.00 -0.45 LME Nickel 28680.00 30.00 +0.10 24750.00 15.88 LME Tin 31500.00 -850.00 -2.63 26900.00 17.10 LME Zinc 2494.00 4.00 +0.16 2454.00 1.63 SHFE Alu 17010.00 -160.00 -0.93 16840.00 1.01 SHFE Cu* 71700.00 -1880.00 -2.56 71850.00 -0.21 SHFE Zin 19330.00 -410.00 -2.08 19475.00 -0.74 ** Benchmark month for COMEX copper * 3rd contract month for SHFE AL, CU and ZN SHFE ZN began trading on 26/3/07 (Reporting by Melanie Burton; editing by Keiron Henderson)