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ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATION: (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 63 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
item
Mar. 31, 2014
Mar. 31, 2015
ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATION:      
Period after which successive reviews are required by the law (in years) 5 years    
Accepted value of the Lima office building $ 27,800,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentFairValueDisclosure   $ 27,800,000us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentFairValueDisclosure
Cumulative guarantee amount 17,900,000scco_AssetRetirementObligationAnnualGuarantees   17,900,000scco_AssetRetirementObligationAnnualGuarantees
Number of units with future closure costs recognized as an asset retirement obligation 3scco_AssetRetirementObligationUnitsNumber    
Environmental costs      
Environmental remediation 5,928,000us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationExpense    
Asset retirement obligation activity      
Balance at the beginning of the period 116,100,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 124,800,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation  
Changes in estimates   26,700,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationRevisionOfEstimate  
Payments (4,200,000)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled (1,500,000)us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationLiabilitiesSettled  
Accretion expense 2,900,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense 2,000,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligationAccretionExpense  
Balance at the end of the period 114,800,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 152,000,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation 114,800,000us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Mexico      
Environmental costs      
Plant demolition and soil remediation budgeted cost     62,400,000us-gaap_EnvironmentalExitCostsAnticipatedCost
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX
Environmental remediation     $ 51,100,000us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationExpense
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX