FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT

Fair value accounting guidance includes a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). FCX recognizes transfers between levels at the end of the reporting period. FCX did not have any significant transfers in or out of Level 1, 2 or 3 for first-quarter 2018.

FCX’s financial instruments are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value except for contingent consideration associated with the sale of the Deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil and gas properties (which was recorded under the loss recovery approach) and debt. A summary of the carrying amount and fair value of FCX’s financial instruments (including those measured at net asset value (NAV) as a practical expedient), other than cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, restricted cash, restricted cash equivalents, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities (refer to Note 6) follows (in millions):



	At March 31, 2018
	Carrying		Fair Value
	Amount		Total		NAV		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets
Investment securities:^a,b
U.S. core fixed income fund	$	25	$	25	$	25	$	—	$	—	$	—
Equity securities	5		5		—		5		—		—
Total	30		30		25		5		—		—

Legally restricted funds:^a
U.S. core fixed income fund	54		54		54		—		—		—
Government bonds and notes	42		42		—		—		42		—
Corporate bonds	29		29		—		—		29		—
Government mortgage-backed securities	25		25		—		—		25		—
Asset-backed securities	13		13		—		—		13		—
Money market funds	8		8		—		8		—		—
Collateralized mortgage-backed securities	7		7		—		—		7		—
Municipal bonds	1		1		—		—		1		—
Total	179		179		54		8		117		—

Derivatives:
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/
purchase contracts in a gross asset position^c	11		11		—		—		11		—
Copper futures and swap contracts^c	2		2		—		1		1		—
Contingent consideration for the sales of
TF Holdings Limited (TFHL) and onshore
California oil and gas properties^a	110		110		—		—		110		—
Total	123		123		—		1		122		—

Contingent consideration for the sale of the
Deepwater GOM oil and gas properties^a	150		132		—		—		—		132

Liabilities
Derivatives:^c
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/
purchase contracts in a gross liability position^d	$	48	$	48	$	—	$	—	$	48	$	—
Copper futures and swap contracts	5		5		—		4		1		—
Total	53		53		—		4		49		—

Long-term debt, including current portion^e	11,606		11,406		—		—		11,406		—



	At December 31, 2017
	Carrying		Fair Value
	Amount		Total		NAV		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Assets
Investment securities:^a,b
U.S. core fixed income fund	$	25	$	25	$	25	$	—	$	—	$	—
Equity securities	5		5		—		5		—		—
Total	30		30		25		5		—		—

Legally restricted funds:^a
U.S. core fixed income fund	55		55		55		—		—		—
Government bonds and notes	40		40		—		—		40		—
Corporate bonds	32		32		—		—		32		—
Government mortgage-backed securities	27		27		—		—		27		—
Asset-backed securities	15		15		—		—		15		—
Money market funds	11		11		—		11		—		—
Collateralized mortgage-backed securities	8		8		—		—		8		—
Municipal bonds	1		1		—		—		1		—
Total	189		189		55		11		123		—

Derivatives:
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/
purchase contracts in a gross asset position^c	155		155		—		—		155		—
Copper futures and swap contracts^c	11		11		—		9		2		—
Copper forward contracts^c	1		1		—		—		1		—
Contingent consideration for the sales of TFHL
and onshore California oil and gas properties^a	108		108		—		—		108		—
Total	275		275		—		9		266		—

Contingent consideration for the sale of the
Deepwater GOM oil and gas properties^a	150		134		—		—		—		134

Liabilities
Derivatives:^c
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/
purchase contracts in a gross liability position^d	$	31	$	31	$	—	$	—	$	31	$	—
Copper forward contracts	2		2		—		1		1		—
Total	33		33		—		1		32		—

Long-term debt, including current portion^e	13,117		13,269		—		—		13,269		—


a.	Current portion included in other current assets and long-term portion included in other assets.

Excludes time deposits (which approximated fair value) included in (i) other current assets of $123 million at March 31, 2018, and $52 million at December 31, 2017, primarily associated with PT-FI’s mine closure and reclamation guarantees and its disputed incremental export duty and (ii) other assets of $125 million at March 31, 2018, and $123 million at December 31, 2017, primarily associated with an assurance bond to support PT-FI’s commitment for smelter development in Indonesia.


c.	Refer to Note 6 for further discussion and balance sheet classifications.


d.	Excludes embedded derivatives in provisional cobalt purchase contracts of $30 million at March 31, 2018, and $24 million at December 31, 2017 (refer to Note 6 for further discussion).


e.	Recorded at cost except for debt assumed in acquisitions, which were recorded at fair value at the respective acquisition dates. In addition, debt excludes $112 million at March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, related to assets held for sale (which approximated fair value).

Valuation Techniques. The U.S. core fixed income fund is valued at NAV. The fund strategy seeks total return consisting of income and capital appreciation primarily by investing in a broad range of investment-grade debt securities, including U.S. government obligations, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and money market instruments. There are no restrictions on redemptions (which are usually within one business day of notice).

Money market funds are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted market prices in active markets.

Equity securities are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded and, as such, are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

Fixed income securities (government securities, corporate bonds, asset-backed securities, collateralized mortgage-backed securities and municipal bonds) are valued using a bid-evaluation price or a mid-evaluation price. A bid-evaluation price is an estimated price at which a dealer would pay for a security. A mid-evaluation price is the average of the estimated price at which a dealer would sell a security and the estimated price at which a dealer would pay for a security. These evaluations are based on quoted prices, if available, or models that use observable inputs and, as such, are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

FCX’s embedded derivatives on provisional copper concentrate, copper cathode and gold purchases and sales are valued using only quoted monthly LME or COMEX copper forward prices and the London gold forward price at each reporting date based on the month of maturity (refer to Note 6 for further discussion); however, FCX’s contracts themselves are not traded on an exchange. As a result, these derivatives are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

FCX’s embedded derivatives on provisional cobalt purchases, included in assets held for sale, are valued using quoted monthly LME cobalt forward prices or average published Metals Bulletin cobalt prices, subject to certain adjustments as specified by the terms of the contracts, at each reporting date based on the month of maturity (Level 2).

FCX’s derivative financial instruments for copper futures and swap contracts and copper forward contracts that are traded on the respective exchanges are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted monthly COMEX or LME prices at each reporting date based on the month of maturity (refer to Note 6 for further discussion). Certain of these contracts are traded on the over-the-counter market and are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy based on COMEX and LME forward prices.

As reported in Note 2 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, in November 2016, FCX’s sale of its interest in TFHL included contingent consideration of up to $120 million in cash, consisting of $60 million if the average copper price exceeds $3.50 per pound and $60 million if the average cobalt price exceeds $20 per pound, both during calendar years 2018 and 2019. Also in 2016, FCX Oil & Gas LLC’s (FM O&G) sale of its onshore California oil and gas properties included contingent consideration of up to $150 million, consisting of $50 million per year for 2018, 2019 and 2020 if the price of Brent crude oil averages over $70 per barrel in each of these calendar years. Future changes in the fair value of the contingent consideration derivative for the sale of TFHL will continue to be recorded in discontinued operations and for the onshore California oil and gas properties will continue to be recorded in operating income. The fair value of the contingent consideration derivative was (i) $65 million at March 31, 2018, and $74 million at December 31, 2017, associated with the sale of TFHL and (ii) $45 million at March 31, 2018, and $34 million at December 31, 2017, associated with the sale of the onshore California oil and gas properties. The contingent consideration derivative was included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets except for $18 million included in other current assets at March 31, 2018. These fair values were calculated based on average commodity price forecasts through applicable maturity dates using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The models use various observable inputs, including Brent crude oil forward prices, historical copper and cobalt prices, volatilities, discount rates and settlement terms. As a result, these contingent consideration assets are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

As reported in Note 2 of FCX’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, in December 2016, FM O&G’s sale of its Deepwater GOM oil and gas properties included up to $150 million in contingent consideration that was recorded at the total amount under the loss recovery approach. The contingent consideration will be received over time as future cash flows are realized in connection with a third-party production handling agreement for an offshore platform. The contingent consideration included in (i) other current assets totaled $21 million at March 31, 2018, and $24 million at December 31, 2017, and (ii) other assets totaled $129 million at March 31, 2018, and $126 million at December 31, 2017. The fair value of this contingent consideration was calculated based on a discounted cash flow model using inputs that include third-party estimates for reserves, production rates and production timing, and discount rates. Because significant inputs are not observable in the market, the contingent consideration is classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Long-term debt, including current portion, is valued using available market quotes and, as such, is classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

The techniques described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while FCX believes its valuation techniques are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different techniques or assumptions to determine fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date. There have been no changes in the techniques used at March 31, 2018, as compared to those techniques used at December 31, 2017.

A summary of the changes in the fair value of FCX’s Level 3 instrument, contingent consideration for the sale of the Deepwater GOM oil and gas properties, during the first three months of 2018 follows (in millions):



Fair value at January 1, 2018	$	134
Net unrealized loss related to assets still held at the end of the period	(2		)
Fair value at March 31, 2018	$	132