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Impairment charges - Additional information (Detail) |  | 6 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Jul. 16, 2019 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) $ / Ore | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | $ 1,658,000,000 | $ 104,000,000 | $ 481,000,000
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | 3,487,000,000 | 132,000,000 | 796,000,000
Deferred tax assets |  |  | 3,102,000,000 | 3,137,000,000 | 3,137,000,000
Property, plant and equipment [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | 3,486,000,000 | 130,000,000 | 435,000,000
Australia [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax assets |  |  | 698,000,000 | 796,000,000 |
Canada [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax assets |  |  | 492,000,000 | 545,000,000 |
Mongolia [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax assets |  |  | 704,000,000 | 703,000,000 |
Mongolia [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge net of reversals |  |  |  |  | 0
Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Deferred tax assets |  |  |  | 66,000,000 |
Oyu Tolgoi Llc [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Property development and project management expense | $ 5,300,000,000 |  |  |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash generating unit, percent |  | 20.00% |  |  |
Discount rate applied to cash flow projections |  | 8.30% |  |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash-generating unit |  | $ 8,300,000,000 |  |  |
Deferred tax expense (income) relating to origination and reversal of temporary differences |  | 320,000,000 |  |  |
Deductible temporary differences for which no deferred tax asset is recognised |  | $ 359,000,000 |  |  |
Impairment, attributable to noncontrolling interests, percent |  | 66.00% |  |  |
Impairment, attributable to parent, percent |  | 34.00% |  |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | 773,000,000 |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash generating unit, assumption |  | $ 1,500,000,000 |  |  |
10% Decrease in recoverability |  | 2,200,000,000 |  |  |
10% Increase in recoverability |  | 2,100,000,000 |  |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | $ 2,240,000,000 | 0 | 0
Oyu Tolgoi Llc [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] | Pre Tax [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge net of reversals |  | (2,200,000,000) |  |  |
Oyu Tolgoi Llc [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] | Post Tax [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge net of reversals |  | $ (2,300,000,000) |  |  |
Yarwun Alumina Refinery [Member] | Aluminium [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate applied to cash flow projections |  |  | 6.60% |  |
5% Decrease in recoverability, per unit (in tonne) | $ / Ore |  |  | 17 |  |
5% Decrease in recoverability |  |  | $ 505,000,000 |  |
1% increase in post-tax real-terms discount rate, amount |  |  | 160,000,000 |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash-generating unit |  |  | 911,000,000 |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | 799,000,000 |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | $ 1,138,000,000 | 0 | 0
Impairment loss, annual reduction, percent |  |  | 30.00% |  |
ISAL Smelter [Member] | Aluminium [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate applied to cash flow projections |  | 6.90% |  |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash-generating unit |  | $ 302,000,000 |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge net of reversals |  | (109,000,000) |  | 123,000,000 |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | $ 86,000,000 |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | 109,000,000 | 123,000,000 | 0
ISAL Smelter [Member] | Alufluor Ab [Member] | Aluminium [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Recoverable amount of asset or cash-generating unit |  | $ 46,000,000 |  |  |
ISAL Smelter [Member] | Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition binding offer amount |  |  |  | $ 345,000,000 |
ISAL Smelter [Member] | Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale [Member] | Aluminerie Alouette Inc [Member] | Netherlands [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest to be sold |  |  |  | 53.30% |
ISAL Smelter [Member] | Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale [Member] | Alufluor Ab [Member] | Sweden [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of ownership interest to be sold |  |  |  | 50.00% |
Rossing [member] | Energy & Minerals [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | 0 |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | 0 | $ 9,000,000 | 267,000,000
Rossing [member] | Namibia [Member] | Energy & Minerals [Member] | Property, plant and equipment [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge |  |  |  |  | 267,000,000
Rossing [member] | Namibia, Dollars | Energy & Minerals [Member] | Property, plant and equipment [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge |  |  |  | 9,000,000 |
Argyle Diamond Mine [member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  |  | 0 |
Argyle Diamond Mine [member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | 0 |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | 0 |  | 172,000,000
Argyle Diamond Mine [member] | Australia [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge |  |  |  |  | 172,000,000
Deferred tax assets |  |  |  |  | 34,000,000
Roughrider [member] | Energy & Minerals [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charge, net amount |  |  | 0 |  |
Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss |  |  | $ 0 | $ 0 | 357,000,000
Roughrider [member] | Canada [Member] | Energy & Minerals [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Pre-tax impairment charge net of reversals |  |  |  |  | $ (357,000,000)
Bottom of range [member] | Oyu Tolgoi Llc [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Property development and project management expense, estimated increase | 1,200,000,000 |  |  |  |
Top of range [member] | Oyu Tolgoi Llc [Member] | Copper & Diamonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of impairment loss and reversal of impairment loss [line items] |  |  |  |  |
Property development and project management expense, estimated increase | $ 1,900,000,000 |  |  |  |

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