Business Segments (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Dec. 31, 2010
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	$ 5,195		$ 5,152		$ 16,718		$ 13,379
Intersegment	0		0		0		0
Production and delivery	2,570		2,266		7,504		6,234
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	257		268		756		788
Selling, general and administrative expenses	102		81		323		277
Exploration and research expenses	78		35		194		104
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	38		3		98		5
Operating income	2,150		2,499		7,843		5,971
Interest expense, net	78		103		250		370
Provision for income taxes	808		845		2,698		1,956
Total assets	31,708		27,951		31,708		27,951		29,386
Capital expenditures	717		350		1,749		877
Sales from PT Freeport Indonesia to PT Smelting	665		603		2,000		1,500
Total North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	122		25		525		51
Intersegment	1,297		973		3,814		3,065
Production and delivery	664		536		1,923		1,557
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	67		67		196		220
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		3		0
Exploration and research expenses	3		0		4		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	(14)		0		(11)		0
Operating income	698		395		2,224		1,339
Interest expense, net	1		3		6		11
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	6,947		6,190		6,947		6,190
Capital expenditures	138		59		342		140
Morenci North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	78		10		371		20
Intersegment	450		364		1,274		1,107
Production and delivery	252		185		719		509
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	27		33		85		110
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0		1		0
Exploration and research expenses	3		0		4		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	1		0		4		0
Operating income	245		156		832		508
Interest expense, net	0		1		2		3
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	1,981		1,919		1,981		1,919
Capital expenditures	21		13		69		28
Other Mines North America Copper Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	44		15		154		31
Intersegment	847		609		2,540		1,958
Production and delivery	412		351		1,204		1,048
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	40		34		111		110
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		2		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	(15)		0		(15)		0
Operating income	453		239		1,392		831
Interest expense, net	1		2		4		8
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	4,966		4,271		4,966		4,271
Capital expenditures	117		46		273		112
Total South America Mines Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	966		1,302		3,465		2,984
Intersegment	87		163		438		399
Production and delivery	478		462		1,330		1,227
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	64		66		187		186
Selling, general and administrative expenses	2		0		5		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	509		937		2,381		1,970
Interest expense, net	0		0		1		0
Provision for income taxes	202		298		829		629
Total assets	8,361		7,553		8,361		7,553
Capital expenditures	174		129		431		283
Cerro Verde South America Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	396		606		1,662		1,338
Intersegment	105		84		303		275
Production and delivery	196		194		569		513
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	32		42		102		109
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		3		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	272		454		1,291		991
Interest expense, net	0		0		1		0
Provision for income taxes	154		147		476		320
Total assets	4,886		4,308		4,886		4,308
Capital expenditures	64		32		120		63
Other Mines South America Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	570		696		1,803		1,646
Intersegment	(18)		79		135		124
Production and delivery	282		268		761		714
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	32		24		85		77
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		2		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	237		483		1,090		979
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	48		151		353		309
Total assets	3,475		3,245		3,475		3,245
Capital expenditures	110		97		311		220
Grasberg Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	1,275	[1]	1,458	[1]	4,112	[2]	3,490	[2]
Intersegment	87		416		544		770
Production and delivery	503		528		1,547		1,430
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	62		72		179		192
Selling, general and administrative expenses	29		25		100		77
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	768		1,249		2,830		2,561
Interest expense, net	7		0		9		0
Provision for income taxes	342		499		1,241		1,069
Total assets	5,437		5,712		5,437		5,712
Capital expenditures	162		116		463		311
Tenke Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	275		307		959		763
Intersegment	1		0		4		0
Production and delivery	142		141		422		347
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	32		34		98		94
Selling, general and administrative expenses	1		0		6		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	101		132		437		322
Interest expense, net	2		2		5		4
Provision for income taxes	20		32		100		75
Total assets	3,791		3,540		3,791		3,540
Capital expenditures	49		9		89		59
Molybdenum Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	332		293		1,119		893
Intersegment	0		0		0		0
Production and delivery	260		199		786		574
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	14		13		44		38
Selling, general and administrative expenses	3		2		11		8
Exploration and research expenses	1		1		3		2
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	54		78		275		271
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	2,342		1,837		2,342		1,837
Capital expenditures	155		22		317		34
Rod and Refining Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	1,389		1,174		4,291		3,363
Intersegment	7		7		19		20
Production and delivery	1,390		1,172		4,292		3,360
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	2		2		6		6
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0		0		0		0
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		1		1		1
Operating income	4		6		11		16
Interest expense, net	0		0		0		0
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	323		335		323		335
Capital expenditures	2		2		7		4
Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	834		592		2,241		1,830
Intersegment	3		3		11		14
Production and delivery	826		590		2,274		1,823
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	11		9		30		28
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5		4		18		14
Exploration and research expenses	0		0		0		0
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	0		0		0		0
Operating income	(5)		(8)		(70)		(21)
Interest expense, net	4		2		12		7
Provision for income taxes	0		0		0		0
Total assets	955		1,201		955		1,201
Capital expenditures	5		4		29		16
Corporate Other And Eliminations Segment [Member]
Revenues:
Unaffiliated customers	2		1		6		5
Intersegment	(1,482)		(1,562)		(4,830)		(4,268)
Production and delivery	(1,693)		(1,362)		(5,070)		(4,084)
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	5		5		16		24
Selling, general and administrative expenses	61		50		180		178
Exploration and research expenses	74		34		187		102
Environmental obligations and shutdown costs	52		2		108		4
Operating income	21		(290)		(245)		(487)
Interest expense, net	64		96		217		348
Provision for income taxes	244		16		528		183
Total assets	3,552		1,583		3,552		1,583
Capital expenditures	$ 32		$ 9		$ 71		$ 30

[1] Includes PT Freeport Indonesia’s sales to PT Smelting totaling $665 million in third-quarter 2011 and $603 million in third-quarter 2010.

[2] Includes PT Freeport Indonesia's sales to PT Smelting totaling $2.0 billion in the first nine months of 2011 and $1.5 billion in the first nine months of 2010.