GUARANTOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended									6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net loss	$ 200	$ 286	$ (410)	$ (4,101)	$ (4,094)	$ (3,790)	$ (1,799)	$ (2,406)			$ (4,025)	$ (12,089)	$ (745)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											2,610	3,497	3,863
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties		239	291	3,800	3,700	3,700	2,700	3,100			4,317	13,144	3,737
Non-cash oil and gas drillship settlements											689	0	0
Net gain on sales of assets											(649)	(39)	(717)
Metals inventory adjustments	9	$ 20	$ 2	5	184	$ 91	$ 59	4			36	338	6
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)											11	(3)	3
Other asset impairments, oil and gas inventory adjustments, and restructuring											134	256	18
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties and Goodwill											4,317	13,144	5,454
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net, Pretax											(35)	87	504
Other, net											741	(2,215)	(1,802)
Changes in working capital and other tax payments, excluding amounts from dispositions											57	373	(632)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities											3,729	3,220	5,631
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures											(2,813)	(6,353)	(7,215)
Acquisitions of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico interests											0	0	(1,426)
Intercompany loans											0	0	0
Dividends from (investments in) consolidated subsidiaries											0	(2)	0
Proceeds From Divestiture Of Business And Interests In Affiliates And Proceeds From Sale Of Other Assets											6,355
Other, net											8	109	221
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities											3,550	(6,246)	(3,801)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt											3,681	8,272	8,710
Repayments of debt											(7,625)	(6,677)	(10,306)
Intercompany loans											0	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of common stock											1,515	1,936	0
Cash dividends and distributions paid, including redemption											(699)	(725)	(1,729)
Other, net											(38)	(20)	(26)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities											(3,166)	2,786	(3,351)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents											4,113	(240)	(1,521)
(Increase) decrease in cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale											(45)	119	(45)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				177				298		$ 1,864	177	298	1,864
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	4,245				177				$ 298		4,245	177	298
Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Net gain on sales of assets									(671)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales											0	0	1,709
Eagle Ford shale assets
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales										3,100	0	0	2,910
Reportable Legal Entities | FCX Issuer
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net loss											(4,154)	(12,236)	(1,308)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											5	5	4
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties											0	0
Non-cash oil and gas drillship settlements											0
Net gain on sales of assets											0
Metals inventory adjustments												0
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)											(1,609)	(8,685)	(1,007)
Other asset impairments, oil and gas inventory adjustments, and restructuring												0
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties and Goodwill													0
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net, Pretax												0	0
Other, net											(95)	(2,127)	(882)
Changes in working capital and other tax payments, excluding amounts from dispositions											2,498	5,506	723
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities											(137)	(167)	(456)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures											0	(7)	0
Acquisitions of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico interests													0
Intercompany loans											481	(1,812)	(1,328)
Dividends from (investments in) consolidated subsidiaries											1,469	852	1,221
Proceeds From Divestiture Of Business And Interests In Affiliates And Proceeds From Sale Of Other Assets											2
Other, net											0	(21)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities											1,952	(988)	(107)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt											1,721	4,503	7,464
Repayments of debt											(5,011)	(4,660)	(5,575)
Intercompany loans											0	0	0
Net proceeds from sale of common stock											1,515	1,936
Cash dividends and distributions paid, including redemption											(6)	(605)	(1,305)
Other, net											(34)	(19)	(21)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities											(1,815)	1,155	563
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents											0	0	0
(Increase) decrease in cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale											0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				0		0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0				0				0		0	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | FCX Issuer | Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													0
Reportable Legal Entities | FCX Issuer | Eagle Ford shale assets
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													0
Reportable Legal Entities | FM O&G LLC Guarantor
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net loss											(4,799)	(12,802)	(4,348)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											192	370	806
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties											1,531	4,220
Non-cash oil and gas drillship settlements											689
Net gain on sales of assets											(86)
Metals inventory adjustments												0
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)											(3,101)	(9,976)	(3,429)
Other asset impairments, oil and gas inventory adjustments, and restructuring												11
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties and Goodwill													1,922
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net, Pretax												87	504
Other, net											30	2	(113)
Changes in working capital and other tax payments, excluding amounts from dispositions											(929)	(1,428)	(1,750)
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities											(271)	262	(558)
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures											(567)	(847)	(2,143)
Acquisitions of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico interests													0
Intercompany loans											(346)	(1,310)	704
Dividends from (investments in) consolidated subsidiaries											(45)	(71)	(130)
Proceeds From Divestiture Of Business And Interests In Affiliates And Proceeds From Sale Of Other Assets											1,670
Other, net											3	(2)	41
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities											715	(2,230)	1,382
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt											0	0	0
Repayments of debt											0	0	(3,994)
Intercompany loans											(332)	2,038	810
Net proceeds from sale of common stock											0	0
Cash dividends and distributions paid, including redemption											(107)	0	2,364
Other, net											(3)	(71)	(3)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities											(442)	1,967	(823)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents											2	(1)	1
(Increase) decrease in cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale											0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				1		0	0	1	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	2				0				1		2	0	1
Reportable Legal Entities | FM O&G LLC Guarantor | Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													0
Reportable Legal Entities | FM O&G LLC Guarantor | Eagle Ford shale assets
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													2,910
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net loss											(4,563)	(18,562)	(4,147)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											2,430	3,195	3,077
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties											2,765	8,862
Non-cash oil and gas drillship settlements											0
Net gain on sales of assets											(567)
Metals inventory adjustments												338
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)											(4,790)	(12,838)	(4,633)
Other asset impairments, oil and gas inventory adjustments, and restructuring												245
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties and Goodwill													3,486
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net, Pretax												0	0
Other, net											807	(90)	(807)
Changes in working capital and other tax payments, excluding amounts from dispositions											(1,527)	(3,714)	395
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities											4,135	3,112	6,637
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures											(2,248)	(5,486)	(5,072)
Acquisitions of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico interests													(1,426)
Intercompany loans											0	0	0
Dividends from (investments in) consolidated subsidiaries											176	130	(2,408)
Proceeds From Divestiture Of Business And Interests In Affiliates And Proceeds From Sale Of Other Assets											4,687
Other, net											5	111	180
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities											2,620	(5,245)	(7,017)
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt											1,960	3,769	1,246
Repayments of debt											(2,614)	(2,017)	(737)
Intercompany loans											197	1,084	(186)
Net proceeds from sale of common stock											3,388	0
Cash dividends and distributions paid, including redemption											(5,555)	(924)	(1,463)
Other, net											(20)	(18)	(2)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities											(2,644)	1,894	(1,142)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents											4,111	(239)	(1,522)
(Increase) decrease in cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale											(45)	119	(45)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				177				297		1,864	177	297	1,864
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	4,243				177				297		4,243	177	297
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													1,709
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Eagle Ford shale assets
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													0
Eliminations
Cash flow from operating activities:
Net loss											9,491	31,511	9,058
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											(17)	(73)	(24)
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties											21	62
Non-cash oil and gas drillship settlements											0
Net gain on sales of assets											4
Metals inventory adjustments												0
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)											9,511	31,496	9,072
Other asset impairments, oil and gas inventory adjustments, and restructuring												0
Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties and Goodwill													46
Gain (Loss) on Derivative Instruments, Net, Pretax												0	0
Other, net											(1)	0	0
Changes in working capital and other tax payments, excluding amounts from dispositions											15	9	0
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities											2	13	8
Cash flow from investing activities:
Capital expenditures											2	(13)	0
Acquisitions of Deepwater Gulf of Mexico interests													0
Intercompany loans											(135)	3,122	624
Dividends from (investments in) consolidated subsidiaries											(1,600)	(913)	1,317
Proceeds From Divestiture Of Business And Interests In Affiliates And Proceeds From Sale Of Other Assets											(4)
Other, net											0	21	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities											(1,737)	2,217	1,941
Cash flow from financing activities:
Proceeds from debt											0	0	0
Repayments of debt											0	0	0
Intercompany loans											135	(3,122)	(624)
Net proceeds from sale of common stock											(3,388)	0
Cash dividends and distributions paid, including redemption											4,969	804	(1,325)
Other, net											19	88	0
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities											1,735	(2,230)	(1,949)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents											0	0	0
(Increase) decrease in cash and cash equivalents in assets held for sale											0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				$ 0				$ 0		$ 0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 0				$ 0				$ 0		$ 0	$ 0	0
Eliminations | Candelaria and Ojos del Salado mines
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													0
Eliminations | Eagle Ford shale assets
Cash flow from investing activities:
Proceeds from sales													$ 0