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Purchases and sales of subsidiaries, joint ventures, associates and other interests in businesses - Additional information (Detail) - USD ($)
 1 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 21, 2018
Dec. 14, 2018
Aug. 01, 2018
Jun. 01, 2018
May 10, 2018
Sep. 01, 2017
Nov. 23, 2016
Jul. 20, 2016
Mar. 01, 2016
May 31, 2017
Jun. 30, 2016
Mar. 31, 2016
Dec. 31, 2018
Dec. 31, 2017
Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Purchased amount                   $ 194,000,000          
Current trade receivables                         $ 2,167,000,000 $ 2,314,000,000  
Profit before taxation                         18,167,000,000 12,816,000,000 $ 6,343,000,000
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures, unincorporated joint operations, and associates                         7,733,000,000 2,675,000,000 761,000,000
2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount     $ 1,700,000,000                        
2017 disposals [member] | Yancoal Australia Limited [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount           $ 2,690,000,000                  
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed           100.00%                  
Cash consideration for disposal           $ 2,450,000,000               2,540,000,000  
Expected unconditional royalty payments to be received           $ 240,000,000                  
Unconditional guaranteed royalty payments received                           $ 110,000,000  
Unconditional guaranteed royalty received                         90,000,000    
Expected unconditional royalty payments                         $ 40,000,000    
2016 disposals [member] | New hope corporation limited [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount                 $ 617,000,000            
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed                 40.00%            
2016 disposals [member] | SIMEC [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount             $ 410,000,000                
Cash received                             $ 224,000,000
Simfer Jersey Limited [member] | Ordinary shares [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of purchased interest                   53.00%          
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary                         47.00%    
Simfer S.A. [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of purchased interest                   4.25%          
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary                         45.05%    
Simfer S.A. [member] | 2016 disposals [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of non-contributory shares               7.50%              
Percentage of ordinary contributory shares upon second tranche               10.00%              
Percentage of ordinary contributory shares               5.00%              
Simfer S.A. [member] | Bottom of range [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of purchased interest                   42.80%          
Simfer S.A. [member] | Top of range [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of purchased interest                   45.05%          
Dunkerque Aluminium Smelter [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount   $ 500,000,000                          
Profit before taxation   $ 128,000,000                          
Proceeds from sale of a business                         $ 385,000,000    
Cash received from disposals                         52,000,000    
Grasberg [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount $ 3,500,000,000                            
Gains on disposals of projects 2,146,000,000                            
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures, unincorporated joint operations, and associates $ 3,392,000,000                            
Grasberg [Member] | Copper and Gold Revenues [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Revenues, net of capital contribution.                         $ 107,000,000    
Carbone savoie [Member] | 2016 disposals [member] | Alandia industries [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Ownership interest in cash generating units disposed                       100.00%      
Bougainville Copper Limited [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Non-controlling interest (%), Subsidiary                           36.40%  
Bougainville Copper Limited [Member] | Equity Trustees Limited [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount                     $ 0        
Percentage of share holding transferred                     53.83%        
Bougainville Copper Limited [Member] | Autonomous Bougainville Government [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of ownership shares distributed                           36.40%  
Bougainville Copper Limited [Member] | Independent State of Papua New Guinea [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Percentage of ownership shares distributed                           17.40%  
Lochaber [member] | 2016 disposals [member] | SIMEC [member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Proportion of ownership interest disposed             100.00%                
Elysis                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Cash investment in joint venture         $ 5,000,000                    
Fare value of patents         171,000,000                    
Fair value of intellectual property         $ 141,000,000                    
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount       $ 200,000,000                      
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed       75.00%                      
Cash received from disposals       $ 150,000,000                      
Gains on disposals of projects       195,000,000                      
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | Due within 1 year [member] | 2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Current trade receivables       $ 50,000,000                      
Hail Creek [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Profit before taxation     $ 1,141,000,000                        
Hail Creek [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed     82.00%                        
Net proceeds disposal of project     $ 1,545,000,000                        
Profit before taxation     $ 1,141,000,000                        
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed     71.20%                        
Net proceeds disposal of project     $ 170,000,000                        
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] | Land and Investments [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Net proceeds disposal of project     87,000,000                        
Profit before taxation     18,000,000                        
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] | Undeveloped Properties [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Cash received from disposals     83,000,000                        
Profit before taxation     83,000,000                        
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Profit before taxation     1,010,000,000                        
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member]                              
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items]                              
Disposal amount     $ 2,250,000,000                        
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed     80.00%                        
Net proceeds disposal of project     $ 2,270,000,000                        
Profit before taxation     $ 1,010,000,000