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Purchases and sales of subsidiaries, joint ventures, associates and other interests in businesses - Additional information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jul. 16, 2019 | Dec. 21, 2018 | Dec. 14, 2018 | Aug. 01, 2018 | Jun. 01, 2018 | May 10, 2018 | Sep. 01, 2017 | May 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchased amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 194.0 |  |  |
Current trade receivables |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,097.0 | $ 2,167.0 |
Profit before taxation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,119.0 | 18,167.0 | $ 12,816.0
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures, unincorporated joint operations and associates |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (80.0) | 7,733.0 | $ 2,675.0
Expected unconditional royalty payments to be received |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 124.0 | 158.0 |
2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  | $ 1,700.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
2017 disposals [Member] | Yancoal Australia Limited [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,690.0 |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  |  |  |  | (100.00%) |  |  |  |
Cash consideration for disposal |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,450.0 |  |  | 2,540.0 |
Unconditional guaranteed royalty payments received |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 110.0 |
Unconditional guaranteed royalty received |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20.0 | $ 90.0 |
Expected unconditional royalty payments to be received |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 240.0 |  | $ 20.0 |  |
Simfer Jersey Limited [Member] | Ordinary [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] | 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% |  |  |
Rossing Uranium Limited [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation | $ 289.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rossing Uranium Limited [Member] | 2019 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proportion of ownership interest disposed | 68.62% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount | $ 6.5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposals of projects |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (289.0) |  |
Cumulative currency translation losses from recycled currency translation reserves | 212.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration for disposal | $ 118.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  |  | $ 200.0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  |  | (75.00%) |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from disposals |  |  |  |  | $ 150.0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposals of projects |  |  |  |  | 195.0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Whitehaven Coal Limited [Member] | Within 1 year [member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current trade receivables |  |  |  |  | $ 50.0 |  |  |  |  |  |
Dunkerque Aluminium Smelter [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  | $ 500.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation |  |  | $ 128.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from sale of a business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 385.0 |  |
Grasberg [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  | $ 3,500.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gains on disposals of projects |  | 2,146.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposals of subsidiaries, joint ventures, unincorporated joint operations and associates |  | 3,392.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Grasberg [Member] | Copper and Gold Revenues [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Revenues, net of capital contribution. |  | $ 107.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Elysis [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash investment in joint venture |  |  |  |  |  | $ 5.0 |  |  |  |  |
Fare value of patents |  |  |  |  |  | 171.0 |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of intellectual property |  |  |  |  |  | $ 141.0 |  |  |  |  |
Hail Creek [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  | (82.00%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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 |  |  |  | $ 1,545.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation |  |  |  | $ 1,141.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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 |  |  |  | $ 170.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] | Land and Investments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds disposal of project |  |  |  | 87.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation |  |  |  | 18.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Valeria Project [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] | Undeveloped Properties [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash received from disposals |  |  |  | 83.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation |  |  |  | 83.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine [Member] | 2018 Disposals [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Acquisitions And Disposals [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disposal amount |  |  |  | $ 2,250.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed |  |  |  | (80.00%) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net proceeds disposal of project |  |  |  | $ 2,270.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Profit before taxation |  |  |  | $ 1,010.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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