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CONTINGENCIES (Tax and Other Matters) (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			36 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) payment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds		$ 247	$ 334	$ 257
Income Taxes Receivable, Noncurrent		129	261		$ 129
PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority							$ 196
Income Taxes Paid, Net		355
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Total							196
Value Added Tax Receivable				269
PT-FI \| Other Liabilities [Member]
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority							38
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Total							$ 38
SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(480)			(480)
Income Taxes Receivable		181			181
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		200			200
Penalty and Interest Assessment		280			280
Total		$ (480)			$ (480)
SUNAT \| Minimum \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Penalty and interest accrual rate, percent		7.00%			7.00%
SUNAT \| Maximum \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Penalty and interest accrual rate, percent		18.00%			18.00%
Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		$ (799)			$ (799)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		631			631
Interest Assessment		168			168
Total		(799)			(799)
2002 to 2005 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(67)			(67)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		16			16
Penalty and Interest Assessment		51			51
Total		(67)			(67)
2005 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(152)			(152)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		103			103
Interest Assessment		49			49
Total		(152)			(152)
2006 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(56)			(56)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		7			7
Penalty and Interest Assessment		49			49
Total		(56)			(56)
2006 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(32)			(32)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		22			22
Interest Assessment		10			10
Total		(32)			(32)
2007 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(30)			(30)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		12			12
Penalty and Interest Assessment		18			18
Total		(30)			(30)
2007 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(135)			(135)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		91			91
Interest Assessment		44			44
Total		(135)			(135)
2008 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(34)			(34)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		21			21
Penalty and Interest Assessment		13			13
Total		(34)			(34)
2008 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(114)			(114)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		62			62
Interest Assessment		52			52
Total		(114)			(114)
2009 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(104)			(104)
Income tax contingency, estimate of possible loss		80
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		56			56
Penalty and Interest Assessment		48			48
Total		(104)			(104)
2010 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(164)			(164)
Income tax contingency, estimate of possible loss		162
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		66			66
Penalty and Interest Assessment		98			98
Total		(164)			(164)
tax year 2011, 2014, 2016 [Member] \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(25)			(25)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		22			22
Penalty and Interest Assessment		3			3
Total		(25)			(25)
2011 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(91)			(91)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		78			78
Interest Assessment		13			13
Total		(91)			(91)
2012 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(123)			(123)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		123			123
Interest Assessment		0			0
Total		(123)			(123)
2014 \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds	$ 128
Disputed Tax Assessments Receivable						$ 152
Tax Overpayment				$ 284
Assessment By Foreign Government Of Alleged Obligations	$ 156
2014 \| Indonesian Tax Authority \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		(152)			(152)
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Tax Assessment		152			152
Interest Assessment		0			0
Total		(152)			(152)
2015 \| PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Taxes Receivable		109			109
Relating to Tax Periods 2006 Through 2013 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Penalty and Interest Assessment		544			544
Relating to the Period October 2006 through December 2008 \| SUNAT \| Cerro Verde
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Tax Examination, Liability (Refund) Adjustment from Settlement with Taxing Authority		$ (146)			(146)
Duration of Deferred Payment under Installment Program		6 months
Number of Installment Payments under Installment Program \| payment		66
Income Taxes Paid, Net					96
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Total		$ (146)			(146)
Relating to 2011 through 2015 \| Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia \| PT-FI
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Interest Assessment		227			227
Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued		376			376
Relating to August 2015 through December 2016 [Member] \| Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia \| PT-FI
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued		93			93
Relating to 2011 through 2016 [Member] \| Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia \| PT-FI
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued [Abstract]
Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued		469			469
PT-FI
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Income Taxes Receivable, Noncurrent		$ 331	$ 209		$ 331