BEIJING, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Nickel futures will break through the $12,000 per tonne barrier next month amid robust demand and limited new supply in the short term, China's research body Antaike forecast on Wednesday.
* China's Jinchuan Group will produce 10,000 tonnes less nickel this year because of raw material problems, it said
* Chinese nickel inventories have fallen from nearly 200,000 tonnes at the start of 2017 to 130,000 tonnes now
* Nickel pig iron and stainless steel stocks are also being drawn down, which will provide strong support for nickel prices
* Rapid growth in lithium-ion batteries is "quietly changing" the global nickel supply structure, while nickel sulfate is another "star product" of the future
* Clampdown on road freight at Tianjin and Tangshan ports will increase nickel ore transportation costs
* Three-month LME nickel was trading at $11,675 per tonne at 1035 GMT on Wednesday, up 0.3 percent (Reporting by Tom Daly)
