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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: (Details 2) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2012 ha | Dec. 31, 2012 Virgen Maria ha | Dec. 31, 2012 Garcia Ataucuri litigation plaintiff | Jul. 31, 2012 Minera Krypton Mining Rehabilitation workers | Dec. 25, 2012 Peruvian operations | Dec. 31, 2012 Peruvian operations item Y | Dec. 31, 1992 Peruvian operations | Dec. 31, 1978 Peruvian operations | Dec. 31, 1971 Peruvian operations | Dec. 31, 2012 Peruvian operations Agreements expiring during 2012 item | Apr. 30, 1996 Peruvian operations Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch person | Dec. 31, 2012 Peruvian operations Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch solesdeoro | Aug. 31, 2009 Peruvian operations Exploraciones de Concesiones Metalicas S.A.C. ("Excomet") | Feb. 19, 2010 Mexican Operations Pasta de Conchos Accident person
Litigation matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of former employees who filed the complaint |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 900 |  |  |
Number of workers hired |  |  |  | 130 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Statutory participation of mine workers in pre-tax profit (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8.00% |  | 10.00% |  |  |  |  |
Statutory participation of mine workers in pre-tax profit paid in cash (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% | 4.00% | 40.00% |  |  |  |  |
Statutory participation of mine workers in pre-tax profit received as equity interest of enterprise (as a percent) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60.00% |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of pre-tax profits delivered as "labor shares" |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5.50% |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages sought by the plaintiff |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 38,763,806.80 "labor shares" (acciones laborales) (or 3,876,380,679.65 "soles de oro") to be issued under the former profit sharing law proportionally to each former employee in accordance with the time of employment of such employee with SCC's Branch in Peru, plus dividends |  |
Face value of one labor share |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00 |  |
Plaintiffs do not represent the percent of SCC's eligible employees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |
Soles de oro equivalent to today's one nuevo sol |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000,000 |  |
Number of plaintiffs involved in lawsuits filed |  |  | 800 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Area of mining concession (in hectares) | 32,989.64 | 943.72 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of mining concession |  | 2.90% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase price of shares paid to former stockholders |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2 |
Number of widows of miners who filed the complaint |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3
Percentage of labor unionized |  |  |  |  |  | 63.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total Number Of Workers |  |  |  |  |  | 4,566 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions represent majority of workers |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions at each production area represent majority of workers |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total number of workers at the three major unions |  |  |  |  |  | 2,202 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions other than majority workers unions |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of collective bargaining agreement (in years) |  |  |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2013 |  |  |  |  |  | 6.50% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2014 |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2015 |  |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Period of illegal work stoppage |  |  |  |  | 2 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Represents the face value of one labor share. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of former employees who filed the complaint seeking the delivery of a substantial number of its labor shares (acciones laborales) plus dividends on such shares. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of plaintiffs involved in new claims filed pertaining to a loss contingency during the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of widows of miners, who perished in the 2006 Pasta de Conchos accident, that filed a complaint for damages. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the purchase price of shares paid to the plaintiff. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of labor unions in the entity. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of labor unions in the entity representing the majority of workers at each production area. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of labor unions other than the majority workers unions in the entity. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of labor unions in the entity representing the majority of workers. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of workers hired for the rehabilitation of the entity's mining unit. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of annual salary increase under the collective bargaining agreement for the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of annual salary increase under the collective bargaining agreement for third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of annual salary increase under the collective bargaining agreement for second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of SCC's eligible employees during the period. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of mining concessions. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the period of illegal stoppage of work by major unions. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the amount of soles de oro equivalent to one nuevo sol. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers in statutory participation enacted by the law. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers in cash in statutory participation enacted by the law. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the percentage of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers in equity interest of the enterprise in statutory participation enacted by the law. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the portion of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers as equity pursuant to government legislation. + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
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- Definition Represents the term of the collective bargaining agreement with labor unions which represent the majority of workers (in years). + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
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- Definition Represents the number of workers of the Peruvian operations. + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
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