Cash and cash equivalents (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Disclosure of Cash and cash equivalents [Line Items]

Schedule of cash and cash equivalents [Text Block]

(a)

This caption is made up as follows:

	2018		2017
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Cash		347		327
Bank accounts (b)		57,078		51,953
Time deposits (c)		311,775		162,271
		369,200		214,551

(b)

Bank accounts earn interest at floating rates based on market rates.

(c)

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, time deposits were kept in prime financial institutions, which generated interest at annual market rates and had original maturities of less than 90 days, according to the immediate cash needs of the Group.

Minera Yanacocha SRL and subsidiary [Member]

Disclosure of Cash and cash equivalents [Line Items]

Disclosure of detailed information about cash and cash equivalents [Text Block]

(a)

This caption is made up as follows:

	2018		2017
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Petty cash		33		34
Bank accounts		111,319		48,995
Term deposits (b)		611,856		625,985

		723,208		675,014

Disclosure of detailed information about term deposits [Text Block]

(b)

The term deposit balance is made up as follows:

	2018		2017
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Citi Bank		210,361		206,824
JP Morgan		401,495		419,161

		611,856		625,985

Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde S.A.A. [Member]

Disclosure of Cash and cash equivalents [Line Items]

Disclosure of detailed information about cash and cash equivalents [Text Block]

This item is made up as follows:

	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
	US$(000)		US$(000)

Cash in banks		3,679		3,500
Cash equivalents (a)		497,503		596,527

		501,182		600,027

(a)

Cash equivalents as of December 31, 2018, includes short-term deposits with Scotiabank Peru of US$125.0 million, BBVA Continental Peru of US$50.0 million, Citibank NY of US$42.9 million and Banco de Credito de Peru of US$5.9 million and a portfolio of investments in highly marketable liquid investments (investments classified as “AAA” by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s) of US$273.7 million, which yield variable returns, and are classified as cash equivalents because they are readily convertible to known amounts of cash and management plans to use them for its short-term cash needs. Because of the short maturity of these investments (i.e., less than 90 days), the carrying amount of these investments corresponds to their fair value at the date of the financial statements. Changes in the fair value of these investments are insignificant.