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INCOME TAXES: (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
INCOME TAXES:
Income tax provision	$ 129,193,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	$ 204,162,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Effective income tax rate (as a percent)	31.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations	39.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Income Taxes
Decrease in effective tax rate (as a percent)	(2.60%)scco_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateIncreaseDecrease
Statutory income tax provision	111,200,000us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations	166,600,000us-gaap_FederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperations
Peru
Income Taxes
Increment in operating income margin for royalty tax (as a percent)	5.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginIncreaseOverThresholdPercentageForRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Increase in royalty tax rate for each 5% increase up to 12% increase in operating income margin (as a percent)	0.75%scco_PercentageIncreaseInRoyaltyTaxAtEach5PercentIncreaseInOperatingIncomeMarginThresholdPercentageUpto12Percent / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Royalty charge	5,700,000scco_RoyaltyExpenses / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE	7,700,000scco_RoyaltyExpenses / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Royalty	500,000scco_MiningRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE	1,600,000scco_MiningRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Special mining tax	3,800,000scco_SpecialMiningTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE	12,000,000scco_SpecialMiningTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Increase in special mining tax rate for each 5% increase up to 85% increase in operating income margin (as a percent)	0.40%scco_PercentageIncreaseInSpecialMiningTaxAtEach5PercentIncreaseInOperatingIncomeMarginThresholdPercentageUpto85Percent / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Accrued special mining tax	3,800,000scco_SpecialMiningTaxAccrued / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE	12,000,000scco_SpecialMiningTaxAccrued / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Income tax rate ( as a percent)			30.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Dividend tax rate	4.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Peru | Minimum
Income Taxes
Mining royalty tax (as a percent)	1.00%scco_PercentageOfMiningRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Royalty charge assessed as a percentage of net sales	1.00%scco_MiningRoyaltyTaxAssessedAsPercentageOfNetSales / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Special mine tax (as a percent)	2.00%scco_PercentageOfSpecialMiningTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Increment in operating income margin (as a percent)	5.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginIncreaseOverThresholdPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Peru | Maximum
Income Taxes
Mining royalty tax (as a percent)	12.00%scco_PercentageOfMiningRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Operating income margin for royalty tax (as a percent)	10.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginThresholdPercentageForRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Increment in operating income margin for royalty tax (as a percent)	12.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginIncreaseOverThresholdPercentageForRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Special mine tax (as a percent)	8.40%scco_PercentageOfSpecialMiningTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Operating income margin (as a percent)	10.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginThresholdPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Increment in operating income margin (as a percent)	85.00%scco_OperatingIncomeMarginIncreaseOverThresholdPercentage / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_PE
Mexico
Income Taxes
Decrease in effective tax rate (as a percent)	(1.30%)scco_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateIncreaseDecrease / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX
Mining royalty tax (as a percent)	7.50%scco_PercentageOfMiningRoyaltyTax / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX
Royalty charge Mexico	56,300,000scco_Royaltyexpensesformexico / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX
Additional royalty tax over net sales from sales of gold, silver and platinum (as a percent)	0.50%scco_PercentageOfAdditionalRoyaltyTaxOverNetSalesFromSalesOfGoldSilverAndPlatinum / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX
Royalty Mexico	$ 13,700,000scco_MiningRoyaltyTaxMexico / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX	$ 24,000,000scco_MiningRoyaltyTaxMexico / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_MX
2015 - 2016
Income Taxes
Income tax rate ( as a percent)			28.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2015And2016Member
Dividend tax rate			6.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2015And2016Member
2017 - 2018
Income Taxes
Income tax rate ( as a percent)			27.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2017And2018Member
Dividend tax rate			8.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2017And2018Member
2019 and later
Income Taxes
Income tax rate ( as a percent)			26.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2019AndLaterMember
Dividend tax rate			9.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsDividends / us-gaap_TaxPeriodAxis = scco_RatesForPeriodBetween2019AndLaterMember

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