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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: - Litigation matters (Details)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 lawsuit	Jun. 30, 2015 item lawsuit	Sep. 30, 2019 lawsuit claim	Dec. 31, 2015 item lawsuit	Dec. 31, 2018 item	Dec. 31, 2017 lawsuit	Dec. 31, 2016 item
Litigation Matter
Number of collective action lawsuits		6
Number of collective action lawsuits dismissed		2
Number of lawsuits in process			3
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			4
Buenavista del Cobre, S.A. de C.V
Litigation Matter
Number of civil actions seeking damages | item				8	3		3
Number of resolutions | claim			45
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
Acciones Colectivas de Sinaloa
Litigation Matter
Number of lawsuits in process			2
Defensa Colectiva
Litigation Matter
Number of lawsuits in process			1

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Number of subsidiaries to which environmental impact authorizations were granted.

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Number of pending claims pertaining to a loss contingency.

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Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 450
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118942415&loc=d3e14435-108349

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