Turquoise Hill says inventory building at Oyu Tolgoi

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Inventories at Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine will rise during the first quarter and may not return to normal until the end of 2014, Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd TRQ.TO said on Wednesday.

The company said the mine was producing more concentrate than it is shipping, in part because two of the smelters it sends material to have been hit by technical problems.

Global miner Rio Tinto RIO.L owns 50.8 percent of Turquoise Hill and operates Oyu Tolgoi.

(Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

((allison.martell@thomsonreuters.com)(+1 416 941 8196)(Reuters Messaging: allison.martell.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: RIOTINTO MONGOLIA/