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CONCENTRATION OF RISK: (Details) | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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Dec. 31, 2011 refinerie smelter mine | Dec. 31, 2011 Cash equivalents | Dec. 31, 2011 Cash equivalents United States | Dec. 31, 2011 Cash equivalents Peru | Dec. 31, 2011 Cash equivalents Mexican Operations. | Dec. 31, 2011 Accounts receivable trade Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2010 Accounts receivable trade Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2009 Accounts receivable trade Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2011 Accounts receivable trade Largest customer | Dec. 31, 2010 Accounts receivable trade Largest customer | Dec. 31, 2009 Accounts receivable trade Largest customer | Dec. 31, 2011 Total sales Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2010 Total sales Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2009 Total sales Five largest customers | Dec. 31, 2011 Total sales Largest customer | Dec. 31, 2010 Total sales Largest customer | Dec. 31, 2009 Total sales Largest customer
CONCENTRATION OF RISK: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of open-pit copper mines | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of underground poly metallic mines | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of smelters | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of refineries | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Concentration of risk |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of total cash |  |  | 86.90% | 9.10% | 4.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage invested in one institution |  |  | 25.20% | 84.30% | 96.10% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of cash in US dollars |  | 97.70% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of accounts receivable and total sales |  |  |  |  |  | 35.90% | 49.10% | 37.40% | 10.80% | 16.30% | 11.20% | 28.70% | 29.60% | 35.10% | 7.30% | 9.90% | 8.50%

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- Definition For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6404-108592 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13537-108611 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 20 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6947722&loc=d3e13531-108611 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 18 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6351-108592 + Details
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