(Recasts to lead with LME copper, adds analyst comment)

April 29 (Reuters) - Copper climbed for the first time

in five days on Wednesday as Chinese buying and concerns over

disruption to sulphuric acid and diesel supplies supported

prices, even as industry data showed the refined copper market

was in a significant surplus.

Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal

Exchange was up 0.3% at $13,076 a metric ton as of 0940 GMT.

SP Angel analyst John Meyer said prices were being supported

by concerns over shortages of sulphuric acid, which is used to

make around 20% of the world's copper, due to the ongoing

conflict in the Middle East.

"China banned acid exports and copper miners in Chile get a

certain amount of their acid from China," Meyer said. Chile is

the world's biggest mined copper producer.

Miners are also concerned about diesel shortages, a trader

said, adding that Chinese consumers have been buying copper

whenever the price dips, "especially ahead of a holiday."

The Shanghai Futures Exchange will close on Friday for the

Labour Day holiday and not reopen until May 6.

Still, the global refined copper market was in a 276,000-ton

surplus in February, the International Copper Study Group said

on Tuesday.

"We see the refined copper oversupply in 2025 being

sustained in 2026 and 2027," BNP Paribas said in a note.

The bank is nonetheless raising its copper price forecasts

for both years, with a base case for prices to hit about $14,000

a ton this quarter, adding that funds' interest in the metal

"continues to support prices well above fundamentally justified

levels."

Nickel was flat at $19,435 a ton after earlier

touching its highest since June 2024. The battery metal has been

supported by production cuts in Indonesia, where the sulphur

squeeze is also being felt.

Aluminium rose 0.2% to $3,544.50, not far off the

four-year high of $3,672 struck on April 16, while zinc

fell 0.7% to $3,345, lead inched up 0.1% to $1,957 and

tin gained 0.9% to $49,405.