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As stock options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph a falsefalseTotal shares linked to long-term incentive compensation plan6false0vale_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementSharesUnderLongTermIncentiveExercisePeriodvalefalsenadurationShare based Compensation arrangement, Shares under Long-term incentive,Exercise periodfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truefalsefalse33falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:integerItemTypeintegerShare based Compensation arrangement, Shares under Long-term incentive,Exercise periodNo authoritative reference available.falsefalseExercise period of shares under long-term incentive7false0us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriodus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00P3YP3Yfalsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse4falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:durationStringItemTypenormalizedstringDescription of the period of time over which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, which may be expressed in a variety of ways (for example, in years, month and year).Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 123R -Paragraph A240 -Subparagraph a falsefalseLong term incentive compensation plan vesting period8false0us-gaap_AccruedEmployeeBenefitsCurrentAndNoncurrentus-gaaptruecreditinstantNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1truefalsefalse120000000120falsetruefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3truefalsefalse7200000072falsetruefalsefalsefalse4truefalsefalse70000007falsetruefalsefalsefalseMonetaryxbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryCarrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations, excluding pension and other postretirement benefits, incurred through that date and payable for perquisites provided to employees pertaining to services received from them.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph 5 -Article 9 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph a -Article 7 falsefalseRecognized liability under long-term incentive compensation plan46Long-term Incentive Compensation Plan (Details)MillionsNoRoundingUnKnownUnKnowntruetrue