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Debt (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Debt (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	Sep. 26, 2018 $ / shares	Apr. 04, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				$ 11,127					$ 11,127		$ 13,117
Current portion of debt				(4)					(4)		(1,414)
Long-term debt				11,123					11,123		11,703
Liabilities, Fair Value Adjustment									60		97
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Discount (Premium) and Debt Issuance Costs, Net				73					73		85
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Term			5 years
Senior Notes Issued by FCX [Abstract]
Repayments of Debt									2,410	$ 1,991
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Net loss (gain) on exchanges and early extinguishment of debt				0			$ 11		8	8
Interest expense, net				(143)			(304)		(436)	(633)
Interest Costs Incurred				$ 166			$ 196		$ 501	$ 583
Dividends declared per share of common stock \| $ / shares	$ 0.05			$ 0.05			$ 0		$ 0.15	$ 0
Long-term debt, less current portion				$ 11,123					$ 11,123		11,703
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Interest Costs Capitalized				24			$ 33		72	$ 91
Line of Credit [Member] \| Cerro Verde [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				1,171					1,171		1,269
Line of Credit [Member] \| Letter of Credit [Member]
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Long-term Line of Credit				13					13
Revolving Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity			$ 1,500	1,500					1,500
Line of Credit [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt				0					0
Revolving Credit Facility [Abstract]
Revolving Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity				3,500					3,500
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity			3,500
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Amount of revolving credit facility available to subsidiary			$ 500
Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount					$ 480
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					454
Debt Issuance Costs, Net					26
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Extinguishment Of Debt, Redemption Value					470
Net loss (gain) on exchanges and early extinguishment of debt					10					11
Gains (losses) primarily associated with modification of credit facility								$ 3	2
Repayments of Lines of Credit						$ 100
Senior Notes [Member] \| 2.375% Senior Notes due March 2018 [Member]
Senior Notes Issued by FCX [Abstract]
Repayments of Debt						$ 1,400
Senior Notes [Member] \| 6.75% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount					426
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					404
Debt Issuance Costs, Net					22
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Extinguishment Of Debt, Redemption Value					418
Net loss (gain) on exchanges and early extinguishment of debt					8
Senior Notes [Member] \| FCX [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				9,594					9,594		11,429
Senior Notes [Member] \| Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				0					0		54
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Extinguishment Of Debt, Redemption Value		$ 454
Senior Notes [Member] \| Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas \| 6.875% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount					54
Debt Instrument, Face Amount					50
Debt Issuance Costs, Net					4
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Extinguishment Of Debt, Redemption Value					52
Net loss (gain) on exchanges and early extinguishment of debt					$ 2
Debentures [Member] \| Freeport McMoRan Corporation [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				358					358		358
Other Debt, Including Capital Leases and Short Term Borrowings [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities				4					4		$ 7
Maximum [Member]
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Debt Instrument, Covenant Compliance, Leverage Ratio			3.75
Minimum [Member]
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
DebtInstrumentCovenantComplianceCoverageRatio			2.25
Operating Segments \| South America
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Interest expense, net				(15)			(156)		(48)	(187)
Operating Segments \| South America \| Cerro Verde [Member]
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Interest expense, net				(15)			(156)		(48)	$ (187)
Operating Segments \| Royalty Assessments [Member] \| Cerro Verde Royalty Dispute [Member] \| South America \| Cerro Verde [Member]
Exchanges and Early Extinguishment of Debt [Abstract]
Interest expense, net				$ 1			$ 141		$ 7