Earnings Per Share (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income	$ 1,048	$ 1,140	$ 2,482	$ 3,035
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(218)	(316)	(519)	(737)
Preferred dividends on redeemable noncontrolling interest	(9)	0	(12)	0
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	$ 821	$ 824	$ 1,951	$ 2,298
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding	1,038	949	989	949
Add shares issuable upon exercise or vesting of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units	5	4	4	4	[1]
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding for purposes of calculating diluted net income per share (in shares)	1,043	953	993	953
Diluted net income per share attributable to FCX common stockholders	$ 0.79	$ 0.86	$ 1.96	$ 2.41
Potential anti-dilutive additional shares of common stock (in shares)				1
Outstanding stock options with exercise prices greater than average market price of common stock	34	24	32	19
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding stock options not in-the-money	$ 40.11	$ 42.52	$ 40.63	$ 43.80

[1] Excluded shares of common stock associated with outstanding stock options with exercise prices less than the average market price of FCX's common stock that were anti-dilutive based on the treasury stock method totaled approximately one million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.