Guarantor Financial Statements (Unaudited) Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Revenues	$ 4,288	$ 4,475	$ 8,871	$ 9,080
Cost of sales	3,383	2,913	6,431	5,608
Other operating costs and expenses	266		446
Total costs and expenses	3,649	3,164	6,877	6,035
Operating (loss) income	639	1,311	1,994	3,045
Interest expense, net	(132)	(43)	(189)	(106)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	0	0	(45)	(168)
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	128	0	128	0
Other income (expense), net	13		10
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings	648	1,319	1,898	2,809
Provision for income taxes	(40)	(422)	(468)	(913)
Equity in affiliated companies' net earnings (losses)	2	(3)	4	(1)
Net income	610	894	1,434	1,895
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(128)	(184)	(304)	(421)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	482	710	1,130	1,474
Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas [Member]
Revenues	162		162
Cost of sales	126		126
Other operating costs and expenses	9		9
Total costs and expenses	135		135
Operating (loss) income	27		27
Interest expense, net	(12)		(12)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt			0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0		0
Other income (expense), net	0		0
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings	15		15
Provision for income taxes	(5)		(5)
Equity in affiliated companies' net earnings (losses)	20		20
Net income	30		30
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	30		30
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Revenues	4,126		8,709
Cost of sales	3,256		6,304
Other operating costs and expenses	182		343
Total costs and expenses	3,438		6,647
Operating (loss) income	688		2,062
Interest expense, net	(39)		(64)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt			0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0		0
Other income (expense), net	13		10
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings	662		2,008
Provision for income taxes	(70)		(489)
Equity in affiliated companies' net earnings (losses)	(3)		(46)
Net income	589		1,473
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(133)		(292)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	456		1,181
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Cost of sales	0		(2)
Other operating costs and expenses	0		2
Total costs and expenses	0		0
Operating (loss) income	0		0
Interest expense, net	11		15
Losses on early extinguishment of debt			0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0		0
Other income (expense), net	(11)		(15)
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings	0		0
Provision for income taxes	0		0
Equity in affiliated companies' net earnings (losses)	(491)		(1,199)
Net income	(491)		(1,199)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	5		(12)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	(486)		(1,211)
Parent Company [Member]
Revenues	0		0
Cost of sales	1		3
Other operating costs and expenses	75		92
Total costs and expenses	76		95
Operating (loss) income	(76)		(95)
Interest expense, net	(92)		(128)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt			(45)
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	128		128
Other income (expense), net	11		15
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings	(29)		(125)
Provision for income taxes	35		26
Equity in affiliated companies' net earnings (losses)	476		1,229
Net income	482		1,130
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	$ 482		$ 1,130