Business Segments (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	$ 5,814		$ 3,864		$ 11,523		$ 8,227
Intersegment	0		0		0		0
Production and delivery	2,557		2,052		4,934		3,968
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	267		249		499		520
Selling, general and administrative expenses	107		101		221		196
Exploration and research expenses	66		38		116		69
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	60		0		60		2
Operating income	2,757		1,424		5,693		3,472
Interest expense, net	74		122		172		267
Provision for income taxes	906		433		1,890		1,111
Total assets	30,579		25,979		30,579		25,979		29,386
Capital expenditures	527		296		1,032		527
Sales from PT Freeport Indonesia to PT Smelting	653		373		1,300		859
Total North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	251		2		403		26
Intersegment	1,296		1,042		2,492		2,072
Production and delivery	659		537		1,234		1,001
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	71		71		129		153
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		2		0
Exploration and research expenses	1		0		1		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	3		0		3		0
Operating income	812		436		1,526		944
Interest expense, net	3		3		5		8
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	6,767		6,100		6,767		6,100
Capital expenditures	85		62		204		81
Morenci North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	157		1		293		10
Intersegment	441		386		827		742
Production and delivery	260		177		470		323
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	30		35		58		77
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		1		0
Exploration and research expenses	1		0		1		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	3		0		3		0
Operating income	303		175		587		352
Interest expense, net	1		0		2		2
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	1,970		1,882		1,970		1,882
Capital expenditures	19		12		48		15
Other Mines North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	94		1		110		16
Intersegment	855		656		1,665		1,330
Production and delivery	399		360		764		678
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	41		36		71		76
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0		1		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	509		261		939		592
Interest expense, net	2		3		3		6
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	4,797		4,218		4,797		4,218
Capital expenditures	66		50		156		66
Total South America Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	1,236		727		2,499		1,682
Intersegment	212		122		351		236
Production and delivery	441		389		852		765
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	66		59		123		120
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		3		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	940		401		1,872		1,033
Interest expense, net	1		0		1		0
Provision for income taxes	321		134		627		331
Total assets	8,290		7,062		8,290		7,062
Capital expenditures	117		106		257		154
Cerro Verde South America Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	598		274		1,266		732
Intersegment	138		108		198		191
Production and delivery	198		148		373		319
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	36		33		70		67
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		2		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	501		201		1,019		537
Interest expense, net	1		0		1		0
Provision for income taxes	159		68		322		173
Total assets	4,732		4,318		4,732		4,318
Capital expenditures	32		19		56		31
Other Mines South America Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	638		453		1,233		950
Intersegment	74		14		153		45
Production and delivery	243		241		479		446
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	30		26		53		53
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0		1		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	439		200		853		496
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	162		66		305		158
Total assets	3,558		2,744		3,558		2,744
Capital expenditures	85		87		201		123
Grasberg Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	1,465	[1]	871	[1]	2,837	[2]	2,032	[2]
Intersegment	99		56		457		354
Production and delivery	518		427		1,044		902
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	60		57		117		120
Selling, general and administrative expenses	28		23		71		52
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	958		420		2,062		1,312
Interest expense, net	1		0		2		0
Provision for income taxes	392		177		899		570
Total assets	5,876		4,703		5,876		4,703
Capital expenditures	176		97		301		195
Tenke Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	375		207		684		456
Intersegment	3		0		3		0
Production and delivery	156		96		280		206
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	38		30		66		60
Selling, general and administrative expenses	3		0		5		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	181		81		336		190
Interest expense, net	1		0		3		2
Provision for income taxes	40		18		80		43
Total assets	3,744		3,458		3,744		3,458
Capital expenditures	29		11		40		50
Molybdenum Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	413		325		787		600
Intersegment	0		0		0		0
Production and delivery	286		190		526		375
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	16		12		30		25
Selling, general and administrative expenses	4		3		8		6
Exploration and research expenses	1		0		2		1
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	106		120		221		193
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	2,193		1,781		2,193		1,781
Capital expenditures	91		5		162		12
Rod and Refining Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	1,421		1,123		2,902		2,189
Intersegment	6		6		12		13
Production and delivery	1,421		1,121		2,902		2,188
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	2		2		4		4
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0		0		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	1		0		1		0
Operating income	3		6		7		10
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	359		306		359		306
Capital expenditures	2		1		5		2
Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	651		605		1,407		1,238
Intersegment	2		11		8		11
Production and delivery	685		605		1,448		1,233
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	9		9		19		19
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5		4		13		10
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	(46)		(2)		(65)		(13)
Interest expense, net	4		3		8		5
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	1,316		934		1,316		934
Capital expenditures	16		3		24		12
Corporate Other And Eliminations Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	2		4		4		4
Intersegment	(1,618)		(1,237)		(3,323)		(2,686)
Production and delivery	(1,609)		(1,313)		(3,352)		(2,702)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	5		9		11		19
Selling, general and administrative expenses	65		71		119		128
Exploration and research expenses	64		38		113		68
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	56		0		56		2
Operating income	(197)		(38)		(266)		(197)
Interest expense, net	64		116		153		252
Provision for income taxes	153		104		284		167
Total assets	2,034		1,635		2,034		1,635
Capital expenditures	$ 11		$ 11		$ 39		$ 21

[1] Includes PT Freeport Indonesia’s sales to PT Smelting totaling $653 million in second-quarter 2011 and $373 million in second-quarter 2010.

[2] Includes PT Freeport Indonesia's sales to PT Smelting totaling $1.3 billion in the first six months of 2011 and $859 million in the first six months of 2010.