OWNERSHIP IN SUBSIDIARIES, JOINT VENTURES AND INVESTMENT IN PT SMELTING (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 1996	Dec. 31, 2011
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) of subsidiary		$ 2,399,000,000		$ 546,000,000
Payable to joint venture interests for its share of cash flows		4,000,000		45,000,000
Climax [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		100.00%
Morenci [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Percentage of undivided interest owned by company		85.00%
Other North America Mines [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		100.00%
Henderson [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		100.00%
Cerro Verde [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		53.56%
El Abra [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		51.00%
Candelaria [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		80.00%
Ojos Del Salado [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		80.00%
Tenke [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		56.00%
Freeport-McMoRan Corporation [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Net assets (liabilities) in subsidiary		18,200,000,000
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) of subsidiary		(10,500,000,000)
FCX loans outstanding		27,000,000
Number of pounds of copper purchased from Sumitomo		69,000,000
Dollar value of pounds purchased from Sumitomo		250,000,000
Net receivable from Sumitomo		49,000,000		12,000,000
PT Freeport Indonesia [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		81.28%
Net assets (liabilities) in subsidiary		4,100,000,000
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) of subsidiary		3,900,000,000
FCX loans outstanding		0
Infrastructure financing payable to subsidiary by another subsidiary		71,000,000
Percentage of optional participation of any other future exploration costs shared by joint venture		100.00%
Percentage of cash flows from specified annual amounts of copper, gold and silver calculated by reference to proven and probable reserves as of 12/31/1994 (in hundredths)		100.00%
Percentage of remaining cash flows		60.00%
Reduction in Specified Copper Production Resulting from Labor and Pipeline Disruptions (in pounds)		228,000,000
Reduction in Specified Gold Production Resulting from Labor and Pipeline Disruptions (in ounces)		224,000
PT Indocopper Investama [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		100.00%
Company's indirect ownership percentage of a subsidiary through another wholly owned subsidiary		9.36%
Atlantic Copper [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		100.00%
Net assets (liabilities) in subsidiary		(57,000,000)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit) of subsidiary		(451,000,000)
FCX loans outstanding		434,000,000
PT Puncakjaya Power [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		85.71%
Subsidiary's accounts receivable including joint venture partner's share		91,000,000
Accounts receivable on consolidated balance sheet for joint venture parnter's share of subsidiaries receivable		20,000,000		23,000,000
Rio Tinto Share In Joint Venture [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Percentage interest in joint venture contract of work by third party		40.00%
Percentage of optional participation of any other future exploration costs shared by joint venture		40.00%
Percent interest in certain assets and future production per terms of the joint venture agreement	40.00%	40.00%
Payable to joint venture interests for its share of cash flows		4,000,000		45,000,000
Joint venture partner funding for approved exploration costs			100,000,000
Percentage of agreed-upon exploration costs shared as part of the joint venture			40.00%
FCX [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Percentage of agreed-upon exploration costs shared as part of the joint venture		60.00%
Sumitomo's Share in Joint Venture [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Percentage of undivided interest owned by third party		15.00%
PT Smelting [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Company's direct ownership percentage		25.00%
Production capacity (in metric tons of copper)		275,000
Percentage of copper concentrate requirements supplied by PT Freeport Indonesia to PT Smelting		100.00%
PT Smelting production requirements (in metric tons of copper)		205,000
Years That Treatment and Refining Charges Will Approximate Market Rates		15 years
Maximum rate to determine payable (in dollars per pound)		0.30
PT Freeport Indonesia's Share of Profits on Sales to PT Smelting still in PT Smeltings's inventory		39,000,000		2,000,000
Investment in equity method investee		89,000,000		125,000,000
Project-specific nonrecourse debt		240,000,000		320,000,000
Trade receivable due from equity method investee		152,000,000		116,000,000
Accounts Receivable [Member] | PT Puncakjaya Power [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Accounts receivable on consolidated balance sheet for joint venture parnter's share of subsidiaries receivable		3,000,000		3,000,000
Notes Receivable [Member] | PT Puncakjaya Power [Member]
Summary of investment holdings [Line Items]
Accounts receivable on consolidated balance sheet for joint venture parnter's share of subsidiaries receivable		$ 17,000,000		$ 20,000,000