Contingencies and Commitments (Unaudited)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS Litigation. During third-quarter 2016, there were no significant updates to previously reported legal proceedings included in Note 12 of FCX's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016. Tax and Other Matters Cerro Verde Royalty Dispute As reported in Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, SUNAT, the Peru national tax authority, has assessed mining royalties on ore processed by the Cerro Verde concentrator, which commenced operations in late 2006, for the period December 2006 to December 2007 and the years 2008 and 2009. In April 2016, SUNAT issued assessments for the year 2010 and the period January 2011 to September 2011. Cerro Verde has contested the assessments, of which the aggregate amount covering the period December 2006 to September 2011 totals $430 million (based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016), including estimated accumulated interest and penalties. Additionally, in April 2016, Peru’s Twentieth Contentious Administrative Court, which specializes in taxation matters, rendered its decision upholding the Peru Tax Tribunal’s July 2013 decision affirming SUNAT’s assessments for the period December 2006 through December 2007. On May 2, 2016, Cerro Verde appealed this decision to Peru’s Twentieth Contentious Administrative Court. SUNAT may make additional assessments for mining royalties and associated penalties and interest for the period from October 2011 through December 2013, which Cerro Verde will contest. As of September 30, 2016, FCX estimates the total exposure associated with these mining royalties for the period from December 2006 through December 2013 approximates $537 million (based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016), including estimated accumulated interest and penalties. No amounts have been accrued for these assessments as of September 30, 2016, because Cerro Verde believes its 1998 stability agreement exempts it from these royalties and believes any payments will be recoverable. Other Peru Tax Matters There were no significant changes to other Peru tax matters during third-quarter 2016 (refer to Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, for further discussion of these matters). Indonesia Tax Matters The following information includes a discussion of updates to previously reported Indonesia tax matters included in Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016. In December 2009, PT-FI was notified by Indonesian tax authorities that it was obligated to pay value-added taxes on certain goods imported after the year 2000. In December 2014, PT-FI paid $269 million for valued-added taxes for the period from November 2005 through the year 2009 and sought a refund. In March 2016, PT-FI collected a cash refund of $196 million and $38 million was offset against other tax liabilities. The remaining balance of the amount originally paid was reduced by currency exchange and other losses. Required estimated income tax payments for 2014 significantly exceeded PT-FI’s 2014 reported income tax liability, which resulted in a $284 million overpayment. During second-quarter 2016, the Indonesian tax authorities issued tax assessments for 2014 of $156 million and agreed to refund $128 million associated with income tax overpayments made by PT-FI in 2014. PT-FI filed objections for $152 million of the tax assessments in third-quarter 2016. PT-FI received assessments from the local regional tax authority in Papua, Indonesia, for additional taxes and penalties related to surface water taxes for the period from January 2011 through August 2016. PT-FI has filed or will file objections to these assessments. The local government of Papua rejected PT-FI’s objections to the assessments related to the period from January 2011 through April 2016, and PT-FI has filed or will file appeals with the Indonesia Tax Court. The aggregate amount of all assessments received through September 30, 2016, including penalties, was 3.0 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($231 million based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016). Additional penalties, which could be significant, may be assessed depending on the outcome of the appeals process. No amounts have been accrued for these assessments as of September 30, 2016, because PT-FI believes its Contract of Work (COW) exempts it from these payments and that it has the right to contest these assessments in the Indonesia Tax Court and ultimately the Indonesia Supreme Court. Indonesia Mining Contract. There were no significant updates related to PT-FI's COW during third-quarter 2016 (refer to Note 13 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, for further discussion). In August 2016, PT-FI's export permit was renewed through January 11, 2017, and the Indonesian government continues to impose a five percent export duty while it reviews PT-FI's smelter development plans. Current regulations published by the Indonesian government prohibit exports of copper concentrate and anode slimes after January 12, 2017. Indonesian government officials have indicated an intent to revise this regulation to protect employment and government revenues. The nature of any potential revisions of the regulation is currently uncertain. PT-FI is actively engaged with Indonesian government officials on this matter. Other. During second-quarter 2016, FCX negotiated the termination and settlement of FM O&G's drilling rig contracts with Noble Drilling (U.S.) LLC (Noble) and Rowan Companies plc (Rowan). Under the settlement with Noble, FCX issued 48 million shares of its common stock (representing a value of $540 million) during second-quarter 2016, and Noble immediately sold these shares. Under the settlement with Rowan, FCX paid $85 million in cash during second-quarter 2016 and FCX paid the remaining $130 million during third-quarter 2016. FCX also agreed to provide contingent payments of up to $75 million to Noble and $30 million to Rowan, depending on the average price of crude oil over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017. The fair value of these contingent payments totaled $18 million as of September 30, 2016 (refer to Note 8). As a result of the settlements, FM O&G was released from a total of $1.1 billion in payment obligations under its three drilling rig contracts.

CONTINGENCIES AND COMMITMENTS

Litigation. During third-quarter 2016, there were no significant updates to previously reported legal proceedings included in Note 12 of FCX's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016.

Tax and Other Matters

Cerro Verde Royalty Dispute

As reported in Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, SUNAT, the Peru national tax authority, has assessed mining royalties on ore processed by the Cerro Verde concentrator, which commenced operations in late 2006, for the period December 2006 to December 2007 and the years 2008 and 2009. In April 2016, SUNAT issued assessments for the year 2010 and the period January 2011 to September 2011. Cerro Verde has contested the assessments, of which the aggregate amount covering the period December 2006 to September 2011 totals $430 million (based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016), including estimated accumulated interest and penalties. Additionally, in April 2016, Peru’s Twentieth Contentious Administrative Court, which specializes in taxation matters, rendered its decision upholding the Peru Tax Tribunal’s July 2013 decision affirming SUNAT’s assessments for the period December 2006 through December 2007. On May 2, 2016, Cerro Verde appealed this decision to Peru’s Twentieth Contentious Administrative Court.

SUNAT may make additional assessments for mining royalties and associated penalties and interest for the period from October 2011 through December 2013, which Cerro Verde will contest. As of September 30, 2016, FCX estimates the total exposure associated with these mining royalties for the period from December 2006 through December 2013 approximates $537 million (based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016), including estimated accumulated interest and penalties. No amounts have been accrued for these assessments as of September 30, 2016, because Cerro Verde believes its 1998 stability agreement exempts it from these royalties and believes any payments will be recoverable.

Other Peru Tax Matters

There were no significant changes to other Peru tax matters during third-quarter 2016 (refer to Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, for further discussion of these matters).

Indonesia Tax Matters

The following information includes a discussion of updates to previously reported Indonesia tax matters included in Note 12 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016.

In December 2009, PT-FI was notified by Indonesian tax authorities that it was obligated to pay value-added taxes on certain goods imported after the year 2000. In December 2014, PT-FI paid $269 million for valued-added taxes for the period from November 2005 through the year 2009 and sought a refund. In March 2016, PT-FI collected a cash refund of $196 million and $38 million was offset against other tax liabilities. The remaining balance of the amount originally paid was reduced by currency exchange and other losses.

Required estimated income tax payments for 2014 significantly exceeded PT-FI’s 2014 reported income tax liability, which resulted in a $284 million overpayment. During second-quarter 2016, the Indonesian tax authorities issued tax assessments for 2014 of $156 million and agreed to refund $128 million associated with income tax overpayments made by PT-FI in 2014. PT-FI filed objections for $152 million of the tax assessments in third-quarter 2016.

PT-FI received assessments from the local regional tax authority in Papua, Indonesia, for additional taxes and penalties related to surface water taxes for the period from January 2011 through August 2016. PT-FI has filed or will file objections to these assessments. The local government of Papua rejected PT-FI’s objections to the assessments related to the period from January 2011 through April 2016, and PT-FI has filed or will file appeals with the Indonesia Tax Court. The aggregate amount of all assessments received through September 30, 2016, including penalties, was 3.0 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($231 million based on the exchange rate as of September 30, 2016). Additional penalties, which could be significant, may be assessed depending on the outcome of the appeals process. No amounts have been accrued for these assessments as of September 30, 2016, because PT-FI believes its Contract of Work (COW) exempts it from these payments and that it has the right to contest these assessments in the Indonesia Tax Court and ultimately the Indonesia Supreme Court.

Indonesia Mining Contract. There were no significant updates related to PT-FI's COW during third-quarter 2016 (refer to Note 13 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as recast in the Form 8-K filed on November 9, 2016, for further discussion).

In August 2016, PT-FI's export permit was renewed through January 11, 2017, and the Indonesian government continues to impose a five percent export duty while it reviews PT-FI's smelter development plans. Current regulations published by the Indonesian government prohibit exports of copper concentrate and anode slimes after January 12, 2017. Indonesian government officials have indicated an intent to revise this regulation to protect employment and government revenues. The nature of any potential revisions of the regulation is currently uncertain. PT-FI is actively engaged with Indonesian government officials on this matter.

Other. During second-quarter 2016, FCX negotiated the termination and settlement of FM O&G's drilling rig contracts with Noble Drilling (U.S.) LLC (Noble) and Rowan Companies plc (Rowan). Under the settlement with Noble, FCX issued 48 million shares of its common stock (representing a value of $540 million) during second-quarter 2016, and Noble immediately sold these shares. Under the settlement with Rowan, FCX paid $85 million in cash during second-quarter 2016 and FCX paid the remaining $130 million during third-quarter 2016. FCX also agreed to provide contingent payments of up to $75 million to Noble and $30 million to Rowan, depending on the average price of crude oil over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017. The fair value of these contingent payments totaled $18 million as of September 30, 2016 (refer to Note 8). As a result of the settlements, FM O&G was released from a total of $1.1 billion in payment obligations under its three drilling rig contracts.