SHANGHAI, Mar 24 (SMM) - Bonded zone inventory of nickel dropped 300 mt to 4,600 mt WoW as of March 24, with the inventory of nickel briquettes and nickel plates standing at 1,370 mt and 3,230 mt respectively, which was in line with market expectations. Nickel prices hovered at lows under pressure. Downstream companies purchased pure nickel on demand. The spread between nickel briquette and nickel sulphate shrank on the fall in pure nickel prices, but the nickel briquette demand from the new energy sector remained critically low.