* Zinc prices slide more than 4%

* Copper spread pulls back after hitting record

* GRAPHIC-2021 asset returns: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl

LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Copper prices dipped on Tuesday as speculators locked in profits after heady recent gains amid a pullback in energy markets.

Zinc prices tumbled as inventories ticked higher.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.6% at $10,134 a tonne by 1630 GMT, moving into the red after earlier rising as much as 2% to $10,402.50.

LME copper had jumped by 15% in less than two weeks, moving closer to the record peak of $10,747.50 touched in May.

Industrial users scrambled to buy material as inventories slid while soaring energy prices spurred smelter suspensions in some LME metals.

"There seems to be some profit-taking, led by the fact that the energy complex is falling back a bit," said Gianclaudio Torlizzi, partner at the T-Commodity consultancy in Milan.

U.S. natural gas futures slipped to near a four-week low on Tuesday.

"But it (pullback) doesn't change the overall bullish path ... Climate-change policies are a game changer, increasing demand for copper all over the world."

LME cash copper's premium over the three-month contract hit a record high of $1,103.50 a tonne on Monday, compared with only $55 a week earlier, indicating extremely tight near-term inventories.

The premium soared on Monday as shorts covered positions ahead of "Third Wednesday," when monthly contracts expire, traders said. The premium eased to $740 on Tuesday.

A weaker dollar offered support, making greenback-priced metals cheaper to holders of other currencies.

* LME zinc sank 4.3% to $3,538.50 a tonne after having built up the biggest net speculative position since 2014, according to estimates by broker Marex.

LME zinc inventories rose 8% to 201,700 tonnes, LME data showed, after having shed 37% since mid-April.

* On-warrant LME copper inventories slid to 14,150 tonnes on Friday, their lowest level since 1998, with one entity controlling between 50% and 79% of LME copper warrants and short-term futures <0#LME-WHT>, LME data showed.

* One party held more than 90% of available LME lead stocks and short-term futures <0#LME-WHT>.

* LME aluminium dropped 1.6% to $3,116 a tonne, lead declined 0.6% to $2,365 while tin rose 0.5% to $38,005 after touching a record $38,800 and nickel advanced 0.3% to $20,050.

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(Reporting by Eric Onstad in London Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi Editing by Paul Simao and Matthew Lewis)