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DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS: (Details)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS:
Percentage of ownership interest held by the parent company	88.90%	88.60%

X

- Definition

Represents the percentage of stock owned by parent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

X

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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