Commitments and contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Disclosure of maturity analysis of operating lease payments [text block]

Future minimum rentals payable as of December 31 are the following:

	2017		2016
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Within one year		1,543		1,543
After one year but not more than five years		6,173		6,173
More than five years		1,157		2,701

		8,873		10,417

Disclosure of finance lease and operating lease by lessor [text block]

The Group leases for several of its assets. These leases have purchase options. Below is a table showing future minimum lease payments and the present value of these payments:

	2017				2016
			Present				Present
	Minimum		value of		Minimum		value of
	payments		payments		payments		payments
	US$(000)		US$(000)		US$(000)		US$(000)

Within a year		56,915		40,224		57,592		40,428
After one year but not more than five years		267,962		241,651		318,643		281,192

Total minimum lease payments		324,877		281,875		376,235		321,620

Less - amounts representing finance charges		(43,002)		-		(54,615)		-

Present value of minimum lease payments		281,875		281,875		321,620		321,620

Disclosure of detailed information about other tax assesments [Text Block]

A summary of these assessments follows:

			Penalty and
Year	Taxes		interest		Total
	US$(000)		US$(000)		US$(000)
2003 – 2005		15,909		54,053		69,962
2006		6,545		59,454		65,999
2007		12,376		17,809		30,185
2008		20,797		12,968		33,765
2009		58,495		49,112		107,607
2010		65,997		107,139		173,136
2011		49,055		63,931		112,986
2014 - 2017		23,450		-		23,450

		252,624		364,466		617,090

Minera Yanacocha SRL and subsidiary [Member]

Disclosure of commitments [text block]

The Company has signed Letters of Guarantee with various financial institutions in accordance with the Mine Closure Regulation approved by Supreme Decree No.033-2005 of the Ministry of Energy and Mines. The table below sets out the outstanding signed commitments at year ends by financial institution. In general, these letters of guarantee are renewed annually.

	2017		2016
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Banco de Credito del Peru (a)		123,729		188,000
BBVA Continental		190,000		120,000
Scotiabank		190,000		120,000
		503,729		428,000

(a)

Letters of guarantee of Banco de Credito del Peru include US$6,321,000 and US$7,626,000 related to San Jose Reservoir Trust in 2017 and 2016, respectively.