Represents the area of mining concessions.

No definition available.

Name:	scco_AreaOfMiningConcession
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:areaItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the face value of one labor share.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_LaborShareFaceValue
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of shares in awards which the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtShares
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of former branch workers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_LossContingencyNumberOfFormerBranchWorkers
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

Name:	scco_LossContingencyNumberOfFormerEmployeesComplaintFiled
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of plaintiffs involved in new claims filed pertaining to a loss contingency during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffsInvolvedInNewClaimsFiled
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the purchase price of shares paid to the plaintiff.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_LossContingencyPurchasePriceOfSharesPaidToPlaintiff
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of labor unions in the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_NumberOfLaborUnions
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of labor unions other than the majority workers unions in the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_NumberOfLaborUnionsOtherThanMajorityWorkersUnions
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of labor unions in the entity representing the majority of workers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_NumberOfLaborUnionsRepresentMajorityOfWorkers
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of SCC's eligible employees during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_PercentageOfEligibleEmployees
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of labor shares issued by the Branch for all of its employees during that period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_PercentageOfLaborShares
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of labor which was unionized labor.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_PercentageOfLaborUnionized
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the percentage of mining concessions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_PercentageOfMiningConcession
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of soles de oro equivalent to one nuevo sol.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_SolesDeOroEquivalentToOneNuevoSol
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers in statutory participation enacted by the law.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_StatutoryParticipationPercentageOfPretaxProfitsProvidedToMineWorkers
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

Name:	scco_StatutoryParticipationPercentageOfPretaxProfitsProvidedToMineWorkersPaidInCash
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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

Name:	scco_StatutoryParticipationPercentageOfPretaxProfitsProvidedToMineWorkersPaidInEquity
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the portion of pre-tax profit provided to mine workers as equity pursuant to government legislation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_StatutoryParticipationReceivedAsEquity
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of workers of the Peruvian operations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	scco_TotalNumberOfWorkers
Namespace Prefix:	scco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: (Details 2)	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: (Details 2)	Mar. 31, 2015 Tia Maria ha	Aug. 31, 2009 Virgen Maria USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 Virgen Maria ha	Mar. 31, 2015 Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch item	May 31, 2011 Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch item	Mar. 31, 2012 Armando Cornejo Flores Against SCC Peruvian Branch former workers item	Mar. 31, 2015 Garcia Ataucuri litigation plaintiff	Dec. 31, 1992 Peru	Dec. 31, 1978 Peru	Dec. 31, 1971 Peru	Apr. 30, 1996 Peru Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch person	Mar. 31, 2014 Peru Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch PEN item	Mar. 31, 2015 Peru Labor Matters item
Litigation matter
Number of former employees who filed the complaint											900
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(includes old soles and labor shares)												38,763,806.80
Damages sought by the plaintiff												3.876380680
Face value of one labor share												100
Labor shares issued by the Branch (as a percent)												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
Number of former Branch workers				104	216	37
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		$ 2,000,000
Percentage of labor unionized													70.00%
Total number of workers													4,546
Number of labor unions													7
Number of labor unions represent majority of workers													3
Number of labor unions other than majority workers unions													4