INCOME TAXES (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		7 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2013 McMoRan Exploration Co [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 Cerro Verde [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cerro Verde [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Cerro Verde [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Cerro Verde [Member]
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings [Abstract]
United States				$ 1,104,000,000		$ 1,539,000,000		$ 2,112,000,000
Foreign				3,809,000,000		3,948,000,000		6,706,000,000
Total				4,913,000,000		5,487,000,000		8,818,000,000
Current income taxes:
Federal				203,000,000		238,000,000		394,000,000
State				9,000,000		7,000,000		21,000,000
Foreign				1,081,000,000		1,002,000,000		1,934,000,000
Total current				1,293,000,000		1,247,000,000		2,349,000,000
Deferred income taxes (benefits):
Federal				234,000,000		87,000,000		82,000,000
State				(35,000,000)		18,000,000		(19,000,000)
Foreign				346,000,000		363,000,000		622,000,000
Total deferred				545,000,000		468,000,000		685,000,000
Adjustments				(199,000,000)	[1]	(205,000,000)	[2],[3]	53,000,000	[4]			208,000,000	[2],[3]		205,000,000	[2],[3]
Federal operating loss carryforwards				(164,000,000)	[5]	0		0
Provision for income taxes				1,475,000,000		1,510,000,000		3,087,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Changes in Deferred Tax Liabilities and Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowances	16,000,000	183,000,000		199,000,000
Deferred Other Tax Expense (Benefit)				16,000,000						69,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Adjustment of Deferred Tax (Asset) Liability, Environmental Matters				(76,000,000)
Term of Stability Agreement											15 years
Foreign Income Tax Rate Under Old Stability Agreement											30.00%
Foreign Income Tax Rate Under New Stability Agreegment											32.00%
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense from New Stability Agreement														29,000,000
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Associated with Foreign Reinvested Profits														234,000,000
Additional Tax Expense From New Legislation On Mining Royalties															53,000,000
Income tax expense (benefit), reconciliation [Abstract]
U.S. federal statutory tax rate				1,720,000,000		1,920,000,000		3,086,000,000
Foreign tax credit limitation				117,000,000		110,000,000		163,000,000
Percentage depletion				(223,000,000)		(263,000,000)		(283,000,000)
Withholding and other impacts on foreign earnings				83,000,000		(221,000,000)	[6]	170,000,000
Valuation allowance on minimum tax credits				190,000,000	[7]	9,000,000		47,000,000
State income taxes				(43,000,000)		17,000,000		0
Other items, net				11,000,000	[7]	(44,000,000)		(2,000,000)
Provision for income taxes				1,475,000,000		1,510,000,000		3,087,000,000
Effective income tax rate, reconciliation [Abstract]
U.S. federal statutory tax rate			35.00%	35.00%		35.00%		35.00%
Foreign tax credit limitation				2.00%		2.00%		2.00%
Percentage depletion				(5.00%)		(5.00%)		(3.00%)
Withholding taxes				2.00%		(4.00%)		2.00%
Valuation allowance on minimum tax credits				(4.00%)		0.00%		(1.00%)
State income taxes			3.00%	0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Other items, net				0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Provision for income taxes				30.00%		28.00%		35.00%
Total income taxes paid to all jurisdictions				1,300,000,000		1,800,000,000		3,400,000,000
Tax refunds received from all jurisdictions				270,000,000		69,000,000		15,000,000
Deferred tax assets:
Foreign tax credits	2,144,000,000		2,144,000,000	2,144,000,000		2,022,000,000
Accrued expenses	1,098,000,000		1,098,000,000	1,098,000,000		819,000,000
Minimum tax credits	603,000,000		603,000,000	603,000,000		474,000,000
Net operating loss carryforwards	925,000,000		925,000,000	925,000,000		343,000,000
Employee benefit plans	443,000,000		443,000,000	443,000,000		315,000,000
Other	557,000,000		557,000,000	557,000,000		374,000,000
Deferred tax assets	5,770,000,000		5,770,000,000	5,770,000,000		4,347,000,000
Valuation allowances	(2,487,000,000)		(2,487,000,000)	(2,487,000,000)		(2,443,000,000)
Net deferred tax assets	3,283,000,000		3,283,000,000	3,283,000,000		1,904,000,000
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant, equipment and development costs	(4,887,000,000)		(4,887,000,000)	(4,887,000,000)		(4,462,000,000)
Oil and gas properties	(4,708,000,000)		(4,708,000,000)	(4,708,000,000)		0
Undistributed earnings	(936,000,000)		(936,000,000)	(936,000,000)		(884,000,000)
Other	(34,000,000)		(34,000,000)	(34,000,000)		(70,000,000)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(10,565,000,000)		(10,565,000,000)	(10,565,000,000)		(5,416,000,000)
Net deferred tax liabilities	(7,282,000,000)		(7,282,000,000)	(7,282,000,000)		(3,512,000,000)
Valuation allowance on deferred tax asset increase (decrease) during period				$ 44,000,000

[1] As a result of the oil and gas acquisitions, FCX recognized a net tax benefit of $199 million consisting of income tax benefits of $190 million associated with net reductions in FCX's valuation allowances, $69 million related to the release of the deferred tax liability on PXP's investment in MMR common stock and $16 million associated with the revaluation of state deferred tax liabilities, partially offset by income tax expense of $76 million associated with the write off of deferred tax assets related to environmental liabilities.

[2] With the exception of TFM, FCX has not elected to permanently reinvest earnings from its foreign subsidiaries and has recorded deferred tax liabilities for foreign earnings that are available to be repatriated to the U.S. Cerro Verde previously recorded deferred Peruvian income tax liabilities for income taxes that would become payable if the reinvested profits used to fund the initial Cerro Verde sulfide expansion were distributed prior to the expiration of Cerro Verde's 1998 stability agreement on December 31, 2013. Because reinvested profits at Cerro Verde were not expected to be distributed prior to December 31, 2013, a net deferred income tax liability of $234 million was reversed and recognized as an income tax benefit in 2012.

[3] In 2012, Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde S.A.A. (Cerro Verde) signed a new 15-year mining stability agreement with the Peruvian government, which became effective January 1, 2014. In connection with the new mining stability agreement, Cerro Verde's income tax rate increased from 30 percent to 32 percent, and FCX recognized additional deferred tax expense of $29 million.

[4] In September 2011, Peru enacted a new mining tax and royalty regime and also created a special mining burden that companies with stability agreements could elect to pay. Cerro Verde elected to pay this special mining burden during the remaining term of its 1998 stability agreement, which expired on December 31, 2013. As a result, Cerro Verde recognized additional tax expense of $53 million

[5] Benefit from the use of federal operating loss carryforwards acquired as part of the oil and gas acquisitions.

[6] Included the reversal of Cerro Verde's deferred income tax liability of $234 million.

[7] Included a net tax benefit of $199 million as a result of the oil and gas acquisitions.