DISPOSITIONS AND ACQUISITIONS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended						6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Jun. 30, 2014		May 31, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013	Sep. 08, 2014	Jun. 20, 2014	Jun. 03, 2013		Mar. 29, 2013	Mar. 07, 2013	Feb. 14, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Dividends Payable, Date to be Paid	Feb. 02, 2015
Payments of Dividends																	$ 1,729,000,000		$ 2,537,000,000
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared																	$ 1.25		$ 2.25		$ 1.25
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net					8,919,000,000																		8,919,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities					0	[1]																	0	[1]
Payments for Repurchase of Preferred Stock and Preference Stock																	0		228,000,000		0
Royalty Trust Units Issued, Conversion of Debt or Equity Instrument																			17,700,000
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																	0		128,000,000		0
Revenues	5,235,000,000	[2]	5,696,000,000	[2]	5,522,000,000	[2]	4,985,000,000	[2]	5,885,000,000	[3]	6,165,000,000	[3]	4,288,000,000	[3]	4,583,000,000		21,438,000,000	[2],[4]	20,921,000,000	[3],[4]	18,010,000,000	[4]
Operating income	(3,299,000,000)	[5],[6]	1,132,000,000	[5],[6]	1,153,000,000		1,111,000,000		1,650,000,000	[7],[8]	1,707,000,000	[8]	639,000,000	[8]	1,355,000,000	[8]	97,000,000	[5],[6]	5,351,000,000	[7],[8]	5,814,000,000
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs									4,000,000		1,000,000		61,000,000		14,000,000				80,000,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Changes in Deferred Tax Liabilities and Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowances	(22,000,000)		(5,000,000)		(57,000,000)												(84,000,000)		190,000,000
Deferred Finance Costs, Noncurrent, Net	141,000,000								107,000,000								141,000,000		107,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Oil and Gas Property																			77,000,000
8% Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage																			8.00%
5.75% Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series 1 [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage																			5.75%
Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Interests [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Asset Retirement Costs																							10,000,000
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition			Sep. 08, 2014																				Jun. 30, 2014
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			496,000,000																				918,000,000
Business Combination, Adjustment to Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Oil and Gas Properties Subject to Depletion			509,000,000																				451,000,000
Business Combination, Adjustment to Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Oil and Gas Properties Not Subject to Depletion																							477,000,000
Eagle Ford [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition																							Apr. 01, 2014
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Changes in Deferred Tax Liabilities and Deferred Tax Asset Valuation Allowances					84,000,000
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred																							3,100,000,000
Deposits																												414,000,000	1,300,000,000
Plains Exploration & Production Company [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Dividends Payable, Date to be Paid																									May 31, 2013
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition																			May 31, 2013						May 31, 2013
Business Acquisition, Agreed-Upon Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares Per Share of Target Company																									0.6531
Business Acquisitions, Agreed-Upon Cost of Entity Acquired, Cash Paid Per Share																									$ 25.00
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares																									91,161,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross																									3,800,000,000
Payments of Dividends																									411,000,000
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared																									$ 3
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net					6,639,000,000																		6,639,000,000		6,639,000,000
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding																									132,280,000
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares Excluding Shares Related to Employee Stock-based Awards																									86,392,000
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares Related to Employee Stock-based Awards																									4,769,000
Share Price																									$ 31.05
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable																									2,831,000,000
Payment to Acquire Businesses, Excluding Payments for Employee Stock-based Awards																									3,725,000,000	[9]
Other Payments to Acquire Businesses																									83,000,000
Payment to Acquire Businesses, Per Share Consideration, Total																									3,300,000,000
Payment to Acquire Businesses, Consideration for Equity Awards																									7,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities					848,000,000	[1]																	848,000,000	[1]
Deferred Finance Costs, Noncurrent, Net									96,000,000										96,000,000
McMoRan Exploration Co [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition																			Jun. 03, 2013
Business Acquisitions, Agreed-Upon Cost of Entity Acquired, Cash Paid Per Share																														$ 14.75
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross																											1,720,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net					3,128,000,000																		3,128,000,000							3,128,000,000
Share Price																									$ 16.63					$ 16.75
Payment to Acquire Businesses, Excluding Payments for Employee Stock-based Awards																											1,657,000,000
Other Payments to Acquire Businesses																											63,000,000
Buinsess Acquisition, Agreed-Upon Royalty Trust Units Issued or Issuable, Per Share of Target Company																											1.15
Royalty Interest in Future Production																														5.00%
Business Acquisition, Date of Acquisition Agreement																					Dec. 05, 2012
Investment Owned, Balance, Shares																									51,000,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities					0	[1]																	0	[1]	848,000,000
Number Of Shares Of Investee Preferred Stock Purchased																									500,000
Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage																									5.75%
Cost-method investment																									432,000,000
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value																											1,400,000,000
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)					128,000,000								128,000,000						128,000,000
McMoRan Exploration Co [Member] | Common Stock [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding																														112,362,000.000	[10]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities																														854,000,000
McMoRan Exploration Co [Member] | 5.75% Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series 2 [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities																														554,000,000
Kokkola Cobalt Chemicals Refinery [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition															Mar. 29, 2013
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross															34,000,000
Company's direct ownership percentage																																56.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred															382,000,000
Business Acquisition, Cash Consideration Funding Percentage																																70.00%
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High																																110,000,000
Buisness Combination, Term of Contingent Consideration																			3 years
Intersubsegment Eliminations [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net					(848,000,000)																		(848,000,000)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Marketable Securities					(848,000,000)	[1]																	(848,000,000)	[1]
Senior Notes [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount																																	6,500,000,000
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt																	2,970,000,000		6,400,000,000		2,970,000,000
Bank Term Loan [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	4,000,000,000																4,000,000,000																	4,000,000,000
Term of Debt Agreement									5 years
Oil and Gas Operations Segment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenues																	4,710,000,000	[11]	2,616,000,000	[11]	0
Operating income																	(4,479,000,000)		450,000,000		0
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs																			$ 74,000,000
Lundin Mining Corporation [Member] | Kokkola Cobalt Chemicals Refinery [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners																																24.00%
Business Acquisition, Cash Consideration Funding Percentage																																30.00%
La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines [Member] | Kokkola Cobalt Chemicals Refinery [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners																																20.00%

[1] PXP owned 51 million shares of MMR common stock, which were eliminated in FCX's consolidated balance sheet at the acquisition date of MMR.

[2] Includes credits (charges) of $15 million ($9 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.01 per share) in the first quarter, $(7) million ($(4) million to net income attributable to common stockholders) in the second quarter, $122 million ($76 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.07 per share) in the third quarter, $497 million ($309 million to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $0.30 per share) in the fourth quarter and $627 million ($389 million to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $0.37 per share) for the year for net unrealized and noncash realized gains (losses) on crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts.

[3] Includes charges of $36 million ($23 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.02 per share) in the second quarter, $158 million ($98 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.09 per share) in the third quarter, $118 million ($73 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.07 per share) in the fourth quarter and $312 million ($194 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.19 per share) for the year (reflecting the seven-month period from June 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013) for unrealized and noncash realized losses on crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts.

[4] Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of the customer.

[5] Includes net gains of $46 million ($31 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.03 per share) in third quarter, $671 million ($450 million to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $0.43 per share) in the fourth quarter and $717 million ($481 million to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $0.46 per share) for the year primarily from the sale of the Candelaria and Ojos del Salado copper mining operations in the fourth quarter (refer to Note 2 for further discussion) and the sale of a metals injection molding plant in the third quarter.

[6] Includes a charge of $308 million ($192 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.18 per share) in the third quarter, $3.4 billion ($2.1 billion to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $2.05 per share) in the fourth quarter and $3.7 billion ($2.3 billion to net loss attributable to common stockholders or $2.24 per share) for the year to reduce the carrying value of oil and gas properties pursuant to full cost accounting rules. Additionally, the fourth quarter and the year includes a goodwill impairment charge of $1.7 billion ($1.65 per share) for the full carrying value of goodwill.

[7] Includes charges in the fourth quarter and for the year of (i) $76 million ($49 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.05 per share) associated with updated mine plans at Morenci that resulted in a loss in recoverable copper in leach stockpiles, (ii) $37 million ($23 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.02 per share) associated with the restructuring of an executive employment arrangement and (iii) $36 million ($13 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.01 per share) associated with a new labor agreement at Cerro Verde.

[8] Includes charges of $14 million ($10 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.01 per share) in the first quarter, $61 million ($36 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.04 per share) in the second quarter, $1 million ($1 million to net income attributable to common stockholders) in the third quarter, $4 million ($3 million to net income attributable to common stockholders) in the fourth quarter and $80 million ($50 million to net income attributable to common stockholders or $0.05 per share) for the year for transaction and related costs principally associated with the acquisitions of PXP and MMR.

[9] Cash consideration includes the payment of $25.00 in cash for each PXP share ($3.3 billion), cash paid in lieu of any fractional shares of FCX common stock, cash paid for certain equity awards ($7 million) and the value of the $3 per share PXP special cash dividend ($411 million) paid on May 31, 2013.

[10] Excludes 51 million shares of MMR common stock owned by FCX through its acquisition of PXP on May 31, 2013.

[11] Includes net mark-to-market gains (losses) associated with crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts totaling $505 million in 2014 and $(334) million for the period from June 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013.