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INCOME TAXES (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jan. 01, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule Of Income Taxes [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total income taxes paid to all jurisdictions |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000,000 | $ 702,000,000 | $ 203,000,000 |
Tax refunds received from all jurisdictions |  |  |  | 108,000,000 | 329,000,000 | 247,000,000 |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign tax credits |  | $ 1,814,000,000 | $ 2,129,000,000 | 1,814,000,000 | 2,129,000,000 |  |
Valuation allowances |  | 4,507,000,000 | 4,575,000,000 | 4,507,000,000 | 4,575,000,000 |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  | (68,000,000) |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  | (123,000,000) | (393,000,000) | 0 |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, deferred tax assets, existing income tax expense (benefit) |  | 32,000,000 | 975,000,000 | 123,000,000 | (272,000,000) |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, change in tax rate, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  | 0 | (121,000,000) |  | (121,000,000) |  |
AMT credits |  |  | 490,000,000 |  | 490,000,000 |  |
Reversal of valuation allowances due to 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act |  |  |  |  | 272,000,000 |  |
Tax charge to establish a reserve for uncertain tax positions |  |  | 108,000,000 |  | 108,000,000 |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, change in deferred tax asset valuation allowance |  | 32,000,000 | 1,100,000,000 | 244,000,000 | 1,100,000,000 |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, transition tax |  |  |  | (29,000,000) |  |  |
Income (loss) from continuing operation, foreign |  |  |  | 3,502,000,000 | 2,882,000,000 | 1,707,000,000 |
Income (loss) from continuing operations, domestic |  |  |  | 390,000,000 | 20,000,000 | (5,179,000,000) |
Change in PT-FI tax rates |  |  |  | $ 504,000,000 | $ 0 | $ 0 |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 21.00% | 35.00% | 35.00% |
Interest on income taxes accrued |  | 186,000,000 | 22,000,000 | $ 186,000,000 | $ 22,000,000 | $ 19,000,000 |
Unrecognized tax benefits |  | 404,000,000 | 390,000,000 | 404,000,000 | 390,000,000 | 101,000,000 | $ 110,000,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate |  | 296,000,000 |  | 296,000,000 |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, net of tax benefits |  | 147,000,000 |  | 147,000,000 |  |  |
Valuation allowance for operating loss carryforwards |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  | 2,200,000,000 |  | 2,200,000,000 |  |  |
Foreign Tax Credits |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  | (305,000,000) |  |  |
Impairment To Oil And Gas Properties |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  |  |  |  |  | 1,600,000,000 |
Net Operating Losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  | $ (54,000,000) |  |  |
Discontinued Operations |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Schedule Of Income Taxes [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total income taxes paid to all jurisdictions |  |  |  |  |  | 27,000,000 |
SUNAT | Cerro Verde |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign income tax rate under new stability agreement |  |  |  | 32.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign tax credits |  | 1,100,000,000 |  | $ 1,100,000,000 |  |  |
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance |  | 1,800,000,000 |  | 1,800,000,000 |  |  |
Income (loss) from continuing operation, foreign |  |  |  | 5,400,000,000 |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  | 537,000,000 |  | 537,000,000 |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  | 975,000,000 |  | $ 975,000,000 |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 35.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Prior to September 2014 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 35.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | 2020 and thereafter |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 44.50% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Tax years 2017 through 2021 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 35.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Tax Year 2022 and Thereafter |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 44.50% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Tax Years 2013 to 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Mining royalty tax rate |  |  |  | 4.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Tax Years 2018 to 2023 | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Mining royalty tax rate |  |  |  | 5.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Chili - Service of Internal Taxes | Tax Years 2018 to 2023 | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Mining royalty tax rate |  |  |  | 14.00% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | SUNAT | 2014 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 30.00% |  |  |
Dividend tax rate |  |  |  | 4.10% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | SUNAT | 2019 and thereafter |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  | 26.00% |  |  |
Dividend tax rate |  |  |  | 9.30% |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | SUNAT | Tax Year 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend tax rate | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Corporate Income Tax Rate | 29.50% |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Change in PT-FI tax rates |  |  |  | $ 504,000,000 |  |  |
Domestic Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  | 6,000,000,000 |  | 6,000,000,000 |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  |  | $ 458,000,000 |  | 458,000,000 |  |
Income (loss) from continuing operations, domestic |  |  |  | 5,400,000,000 |  |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  | $ 10,500,000,000 |  | 10,500,000,000 |  |  |
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  | 51,000,000 | $ (380,000,000) |  |
AMT credit carryforwards |  |  |  |  |  | $ 110,000,000 |
Reserve for Taxes, Other than Income Taxes [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  | $ 72,000,000 |  |  |

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