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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: - Litigation matters (Details)			3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 27, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 22, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 lawsuit	Sep. 30, 2016 lawsuit	Jun. 30, 2015 lawsuit item	Dec. 31, 2015 lawsuit item	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2005 item	Dec. 31, 2017 lawsuit	Dec. 31, 2016 item	Mar. 31, 2012
Litigation Matter
Number of collective action lawsuits					6
Number of collective action lawsuits dismissed					2
Remaining number of lawsuits					4
Number of civil actions seeking damages									33
Number Of Constitutional Action Lawsuits						4
Number of subsidiaries to which environmental impact authorizations were granted | item						1
Number of subsidiaries against which lawsuits were filed | item					2
Tia Maria
Litigation Matter
Number of lawsuits			3
Grupo Mexico and Americas Mining
Litigation Matter
Amount of Litigation settlement award | $		$ 50,000,000
Amount of litigation settlement | $	$ 50,000,000
Attorneys fees | $	13,500,000
Incentive fee | $	5,000
Special dividend | $	$ 36,500,000
Buenavista del Cobre, S.A. de C.V
Litigation Matter
Number of civil actions seeking damages | item						8				3
Mexico Generadora de Energia, S. de R.L. ("MGE") | Controladora de Infraestructura Energetica Mexico, S. A. de C. V.
Litigation Matter
Acquisition percentage											99.999%
Mexico | Mexico Generadora de Energia, S. de R.L. ("MGE")
Litigation Matter
Number of power plants | item							2	2
Mexico | Mexico Generadora de Energia, S. de R.L. ("MGE") | Controladora de Infraestructura Energetica Mexico, S. A. de C. V.
Litigation Matter
Acquisition percentage							99.999%
Francisca Garcia Enriquez
Litigation Matter
Number of additional constitutional lawsuits filed						2
Mario Alberto Salcido et al; Maria Elena Heredia Bustamante et al; Martin Eligio Ortiz Gamez et al and Maria de los Angeles Enriquez Bacame et al
Litigation Matter
Number of additional constitutional lawsuits filed				4
Norberto Bustamante et al
Litigation Matter
Number of additional constitutional lawsuits filed			2

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Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463

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