Dispositions (Details) - USD ($)							3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
		Jul. 25, 2016	Jun. 17, 2016	May 31, 2016	May 09, 2016	May 02, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	May 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net proceeds from sale of additional interest in Morenci										$ 996,000,000		$ 0
Intersegment							$ 0		$ 0	0		0
Assets
Total current assets held for sale							4,666,000,000			4,666,000,000						$ 744,000,000
Total long-term assets held for sale							0			0						4,110,000,000
Liabilities
Total current liabilities held for sale							824,000,000			824,000,000						108,000,000
Total long-term liabilities held for sale							0			0						718,000,000
Noncontrolling interests							4,316,000,000			4,316,000,000						4,216,000,000
Costs and expenses:
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations							(181,000,000)		29,000,000	$ (185,000,000)		70,000,000
Morenci [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Change in Ownership, Percentage										13.00%
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Serbia [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Date						May 02, 2016
Net proceeds from sale of additional interest in Morenci						$ 135,000,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High						$ 107,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Timok [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Previously Unissued Stock by Subsidiary							$ 133,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Morenci [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Date				May 31, 2016
Net proceeds from sale of additional interest in Morenci				$ 1,000,000,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Previously Unissued Stock by Subsidiary				$ 577,000,000
Change in Ownership, Percentage				13.00%
Percentage Of Undivided Interest Owned By Company							72.00%			72.00%				85.00%
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Morenci [Member] | Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percent Of Undivided Interest Owned By Third Party							13.00%			13.00%
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Morenci [Member] | Sumitomo Metal Mining Arizona Inc. [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percent Of Undivided Interest Owned By Third Party							15.00%			15.00%				15.00%
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Oil and Gas Royalty Interests [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Date			Jun. 17, 2016
Net proceeds from sale of additional interest in Morenci			$ 102,000,000
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Haynesville [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Net proceeds from sale of additional interest in Morenci		$ 87,000,000
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale [Member] | Tenke Fungurume [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Date					May 09, 2016
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					$ 120,000,000
Percentage Of Undivided Interest Owned By Company					70.00%
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses, Net of Cash Divested					$ 2,650,000,000
Intersegment							$ (41,000,000)		41,000,000	$ (73,000,000)		(69,000,000)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents							78,000,000			78,000,000						29,000,000
Inventories							1,152,000,000			1,152,000,000						584,000,000
Receivables and other current assets							154,000,000			154,000,000						131,000,000
Property, plant, equipment and mining development costs, net							3,056,000,000			3,056,000,000						0
Other assets							226,000,000			226,000,000						0
Total current assets held for sale							4,666,000,000			4,666,000,000						744,000,000
Property, plant, equipment and mining development costs, net							0			0						3,261,000,000
Inventories							0			0						608,000,000
Other assets							0			0						241,000,000
Total long-term assets held for sale							0			0						4,110,000,000
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							99,000,000			99,000,000						108,000,000
Deferred income taxes							679,000,000			679,000,000						0
Asset retirement obligations and other liabilities							46,000,000			46,000,000						0
Total current liabilities held for sale							824,000,000			824,000,000						108,000,000
Deferred income taxes							0			0						681,000,000
Asset retirement obligations and other liabilities							0			0						37,000,000
Total long-term liabilities held for sale							0			0						718,000,000
Noncontrolling interests							1,185,000,000			1,185,000,000						$ 1,178,000,000
Net (Loss) Income from Discontinued Operations in the Consolidated Statements of Operations
Revenues	[1]						272,000,000		310,000,000	558,000,000		692,000,000
Costs and expenses:
Production and delivery costs							256,000,000		197,000,000	482,000,000		430,000,000
Depreciation, depletion and amortization							20,000,000	[2]	57,000,000	80,000,000	[2]	130,000,000
Interest expense allocated from parent	[3]						11,000,000		7,000,000	21,000,000		14,000,000
Other costs and expenses, net							5,000,000		8,000,000	6,000,000		17,000,000
(Loss) income before income taxes and estimated loss on disposal							(20,000,000)		41,000,000	(31,000,000)		101,000,000
Estimated loss on disposal	[4]						(177,000,000)		0	(177,000,000)		0
Net (loss) income before income taxes							(197,000,000)		41,000,000	(208,000,000)		101,000,000
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes							16,000,000		(12,000,000)	23,000,000		(31,000,000)
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations							$ (181,000,000)		$ 29,000,000	$ (185,000,000)		$ 70,000,000
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale [Member] | Tenke Fungurume [Member] | Cobalt [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					60,000,000
Contingent Consideration, Reference Price					20
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale [Member] | Tenke Fungurume [Member] | Copper [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					60,000,000
Contingent Consideration, Reference Price					$ 3.50
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale [Member] | Tenke Fungurume [Member] | Lundin Mining Corporation [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percent Of Undivided Interest Owned By Third Party							30.00%			30.00%
Discontinued Operations, Held-for-sale [Member] | Tenke Fungurume [Member] | Tenke Segments [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percentage Of Undivided Interest Owned By Company							56.00%			56.00%
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kokkola Cobalt Chemicals Refinery [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percentage Of Undivided Interest Owned By Company															56.00%
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kokkola Cobalt Chemicals Refinery [Member] | Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses, Net of Cash Divested													$ 100,000,000
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kisanfu Exploration Project [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Percentage Of Undivided Interest Owned By Company															100.00%
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] | Kisanfu Exploration Project [Member] | Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses, Net of Cash Divested													$ 50,000,000

[1] a.In accordance with accounting guidance, amounts are net of eliminations of intercompany sales totaling $41 million in both second-quarter 2016 and 2015, $73 million for the first six months of 2016 and $69 million for the first six months of 2015.

[2] b.In accordance with accounting guidance, depreciation, depletion and amortization is not recognized subsequent to classification as assets held for sale.

[3] c.In accordance with accounting guidance, interest associated with FCX's Term Loan that will be required to be repaid as a result of the sale of TFHL has been allocated to discontinued operations.

[4] d.In accordance with accounting guidance, an estimated loss on disposal was recorded, which will be adjusted through closing of the transaction.