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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: (Details 2) $ in Millions |  | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 23, 2015 item shares | Mar. 31, 2015 item | Aug. 31, 2009 USD ($) | Apr. 30, 1996 person | Mar. 31, 2016 | Jun. 30, 2015 item | Dec. 31, 2015 ha item item / shares | Dec. 31, 1992 | Dec. 31, 1978 | Dec. 31, 1971
Tia Maria |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Area of mining concession (in hectares) | ha |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32,989.64 |  |  |
Virgen Maria |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Area of mining concession (in hectares) | ha |  |  |  |  |  |  | 943.72 |  |  |
Percentage of mining concession |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.90% |  |  |
Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of former Branch workers |  | 104 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Garcia Ataucuri litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs involved in lawsuits filed |  |  |  |  |  |  | 800 |  |  |
Number of former Branch workers |  |  |  |  |  |  | 216 |  |  |
Number of SCC's former Branch workers |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 |  |  |
Peru |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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% |
Percentage of labor unionized |  |  |  |  |  |  | 72.70% |  |  |
Total number of workers |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,602 |  |  |
Number of labor unions |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |
Number of labor unions represent majority of workers |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |
Number of labor unions other than majority workers unions |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |
Peru | Garcia Ataucuri and Others against SCC's Peruvian Branch |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of former employees who filed the complaint | person |  |  |  | 900 |  |  |  |  |  |
Damages sought by the plaintiff (includes old soles and labor shares) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 38,763,806.80 |  |  |
Face value of one labor share | item / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | 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 shares seized as security for damages sought (in shares) | shares | 10,501,857 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor shares per one investment share | 10,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Peru | Exploraciones de Concesiones Metalicas S.A.C. ("Excomet") |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchase price of shares paid to former stockholders | $ |  |  | $ 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Peru | Labor Matters | Ilo and Cuajone |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions represent majority of workers |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |
Peru | Labor Matters | Toquepala |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of labor unions other than majority workers unions |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Peru |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Matter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term of collective bargaining agreement |  |  |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2016 |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2017 |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of annual salary increase as per collective bargaining agreement in year 2018 |  |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Represents the number of shares in awards which the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of investment shares seized in order to secure the delivery of labor shares sought as damage in the litigation. + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | na
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Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
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Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
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Namespace Prefix: | scco_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
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