Income Taxes (Unaudited)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

Variations in the relative proportions of jurisdictional income result in fluctuations to FCX's consolidated effective income tax rate. FCX’s consolidated effective income tax rate was (5) percent for the first six months of 2016 and 25 percent for the first six months of 2015. Geographic sources of FCX's (provision for) benefit from income taxes follow (in millions):

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30,						June 30,
	2016			2015			2016			2015
U.S. operations	$	(49	)	$	829		$	(38	)	$	1,664
International operations	(67		)	(130		)	(155		)	(251		)
Total	$	(116	)	$	699		$	(193	)	$	1,413

As a result of the impairment to U.S. oil and gas properties, FCX recorded tax charges of $1.5 billion for the first six months of 2016 and $763 million for the first six months of 2015 to establish a valuation allowance primarily against U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets that will not generate a future benefit. Excluding these charges, FCX's consolidated effective income tax rate was 33 percent for the first six months of 2016 and 38 percent for the first six months of 2015.

As of December 31, 2015, FCX had determined that undistributed earnings of TFM were reinvested indefinitely and were allocated toward specifically identifiable needs of the local operations. In connection with the anticipated sale of its interest in TFHL, management concluded that its share of undistributed earnings of TFM were no longer reinvested indefinitely. This change did not have a material impact on FCX's results of operations.

Applicable accounting standards require that FCX estimate an annual effective tax rate and apply that rate to each year-to-date interim period. However, because FCX’s estimated effective income tax rate for 2016 is highly variable (i.e., minor changes in FCX’s estimated annual (loss) income would have a significant effect on the consolidated annual effective income tax rate), the actual effective income tax rate for the year-to-date reporting period represents a better estimate of the consolidated annual effective income tax rate. Accordingly, for the six months ended June 30, 2016, the actual consolidated effective income tax rate was used to determine FCX’s income tax provision.