XML 68 R47.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.8.0.1

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS: (Details)	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS:
Percentage of ownership interest held by the parent company	88.90%	88.90%

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