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WORKERS' PARTICIPATION: (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
WORKERS' PARTICIPATION: |
Workers' participation expense |
2011 |  | 2010 |  | 2009 |
$ | 276.7 |  | $ | 234.4 |  | $ | 134.7 |

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: | scco_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of worker's participation expense which is allocated to cost of sales (exclusive of deprecation, amortization and depletion) and to selling, general and administrative in the consolidated statement of earnings, proportional to the number of workers in the production and administrative areas, respectively. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | scco_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration