Guarantor Financial Statements (Unaudited) Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income	$ 1,434	$ 1,895
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	859	558
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	45	168
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	(128)	0
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	0
Other, net	(150)
Accounts receivable, inventories and other current assets	248
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued and other tax payments	(443)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,865	1,983
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,978)	(1,547)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(5,414)
Other, net	(264)	(4)
Net cash used in investing activities	(7,656)	(1,551)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	11,021	3,016
Repayments of debt	(4,541)	(3,171)
Intercompany loans	0
Cash dividends and distributions paid:
Common stock	(595)	(535)
Noncontrolling interests	(90)	(38)
Other, net	(415)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	5,380	(746)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(411)	(314)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	3,705	4,822
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,294	4,508
Parent Company [Member]
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income	1,130
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	2
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	45
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	(128)
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(1,140)
Other, net	43
Accounts receivable, inventories and other current assets	(2)
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued and other tax payments	144
Net cash provided by operating activities	94
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(5,437)
Other, net	(5)
Net cash used in investing activities	(5,442)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	10,885
Repayments of debt	(4,050)
Intercompany loans	(476)
Cash dividends and distributions paid:
Common stock	(595)
Noncontrolling interests	0
Other, net	(416)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	5,348
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0
Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas [Member]
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income	30
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	79
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	(20)
Other, net	29
Accounts receivable, inventories and other current assets	32
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued and other tax payments	(1)
Net cash provided by operating activities	149
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(151)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Other, net	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(151)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0
Repayments of debt	(415)
Intercompany loans	476
Cash dividends and distributions paid:
Common stock	0
Noncontrolling interests	0
Other, net	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	61
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	59
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	59
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income	1,473
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	772
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	5
Other, net	(260)
Accounts receivable, inventories and other current assets	22
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued and other tax payments	(295)
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,717
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,817)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(321)
Other, net	(259)
Net cash used in investing activities	(2,397)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	136
Repayments of debt	(76)
Intercompany loans	344
Cash dividends and distributions paid:
Common stock	(104)
Noncontrolling interests	(90)
Other, net	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	210
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(470)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	3,705
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,235
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net income	(1,199)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	6
Losses on early extinguishment of debt	0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co.	0
Equity in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries	1,155
Other, net	38
Accounts receivable, inventories and other current assets	196
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and accrued and other tax payments	(291)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(95)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(10)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	344
Other, net	0
Net cash used in investing activities	334
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt	0
Repayments of debt	0
Intercompany loans	(344)
Cash dividends and distributions paid:
Common stock	104
Noncontrolling interests	0
Other, net	1
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(239)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 0