Earnings Per Share (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net (loss) income		$ (1,799)	$ 660	$ (4,205)	$ 1,286
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(42)	(168)	(100)	(274)
Preferred dividends on redeemable noncontrolling interest		(10)	(10)	(20)	(20)
Undistributed earnings allocable to participating securities		(3)	(2)	(3)	(3)
Net (loss) income allocable to common stockholders		$ (1,854)	$ 480	$ (4,328)	$ 989
Basic weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding		1,040	1,039	1,040	1,039
Add shares issuable upon exercise or vesting of dilutive stock options and RSUs	[1]	0	6	0	6
Diluted weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding		1,040	1,045	1,040	1,045
Basic net (loss) income per share attributable to common stockholders		$ (1.78)	$ 0.46	$ (4.16)	$ 0.95
Diluted net (loss) income per share attributable to common stockholders		$ (1.78)	$ 0.46	$ (4.16)	$ 0.95
Potential anti-dilutive additional shares of common stock (in shares)		4	3	4	3
Outstanding stock options with exercise prices greater than average market price of common stock (in shares)		40	30	40	30

[1] Excludes approximately four million shares of common stock for both the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015, and three million shares of common stock for both the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2014, associated with outstanding stock options with exercise prices less than the average market price of FCX's common stock and RSUs that were anti-dilutive.