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INCOME TAXES (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 30, 2019 | Jan. 01, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule Of Income Taxes [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total income taxes paid to all jurisdictions |  |  |  |  | $ 397 | $ 610 | $ 2,000 |  |
Tax refunds received from all jurisdictions |  |  |  |  | 265 | 306 | 108 |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign tax credits |  |  | $ 1,641 |  | 1,641 | 1,716 |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  |  | 4,732 |  | 4,732 | 4,576 |  |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  |  | 156 |  |  |  |
Deferred tax assets, alternative minimum tax refunds |  |  | 244 |  | 244 |  |  |  |
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits expected |  |  | 24 |  | 24 |  |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | (123) |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, change in tax rate, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  | 29 |  |
Income (loss) from continuing operation, foreign |  |  |  |  | 1,837 | 593 | 3,502 |  |
Income (loss) from continuing operations, domestic |  |  |  |  | (40) | (287) | $ 390 |  |
Change in PT-FI tax rates |  |  |  | $ 504 | $ 0 | $ 0 |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  |  | 21.00% | 21.00% | 21.00% |  |
Interest on income taxes accrued |  |  | 163 | 186 | $ 163 | $ 231 | $ 186 |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits |  |  | 295 | $ 404 | 295 | 376 | 404 | $ 390 |
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate |  |  | 254 |  | 254 |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, net of tax benefits |  |  | 168 |  | 168 |  |  |  |
PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Change in PT-FI tax rates |  |  |  |  | 0 | 0 | 504 |  |
Loss Contingency, Loss in Period, Including Tax Charges |  |  | 42 |  |  | 304 |  |  |
Valuation allowance for operating loss carryforwards |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  |  | 2,400 |  | 2,400 |  |  |  |
Net Operating Losses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  |  | 250 |  |  | $ (45) |
Domestic Deferred Tax Assets [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valuation allowance, increase (decrease) |  |  |  |  | $ (11) | 208 | (44) |  |
SUNAT | Cerro Verde |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign income tax rate under new stability agreement |  |  |  |  | 32.00% |  |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Credit Carryforward, Valuation Allowance |  |  | 1,600 |  | $ 1,600 |  |  |  |
Income Tax Credits and Adjustments |  |  |  |  | $ 75 | $ 98 | 315 |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, In Papua, Indonesia | 2019 and thereafter |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate |  |  |  |  | 25.00% |  |  |  |
Profits income tax rate |  |  |  |  | 10.00% |  |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Settlement with Taxing Authority [Member] | Tax Years 2012 to 2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments for legal settlements | $ 250 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, Spain |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  |  | 559 |  | $ 559 |  |  |  |
Foreign Tax Authority | Tax Authority, In Papau, Indonesia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  |  | 910 |  | $ 910 |  |  |  |
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 | 2017 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividend tax rate |  | 5.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Corporate Income Tax Rate |  | 29.50% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Domestic Tax Authority |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  |  | 7,000 |  | $ 7,000 |  |  |  |
Valuation allowances |  |  | 647 |  | 647 |  |  |  |
State and Local Jurisdiction |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  |  | 10,800 |  | 10,800 |  |  |  |
Alternative Minimum Tax Credit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 123 |  |
Reserve for Taxes, Other than Income Taxes [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, provisional income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  | $ 29 |  |  |
Indefinite-Lived Carryforward [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Operating Loss Carryforwards |  |  | 305 |  | $ 305 |  |  |  |
Other (expense) benefit | PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Loss in Period, Including Tax Charges |  |  | 9 |  |  | 123 |  |  |
Interest expense | PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Loss in Period, Including Tax Charges |  |  | 35 |  |  | 78 |  |  |
Income expense (benefit) | PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax Attributes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Loss in Period, Including Tax Charges |  |  | $ 2 |  |  | $ 103 |  |  |

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