GUARANTOR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Condensed Consolidating Comprehensive Income Statement) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended															12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Comprehensive Income Statements [Line Items]
Revenues																$ 20,921	[1]	$ 18,010	[1]	$ 20,880	[1]
Cost of Goods Sold																14,637		11,561		10,920
Other operating costs and expenses																933
Total costs and expenses																15,570		12,196		11,740
Operating income	1,650	[2],[3]	1,707	[2]	639	[2]	1,355	[2]	1,358	[4],[5]	1,411		1,311	1,734		5,351	[2],[3]	5,814	[4],[5]	9,140
Interest expense, net																(518)		(186)		(312)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt																(35)		(168)		(68)
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																128		0		0
Other income (expense), net																(13)
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings																4,913		5,487		8,818
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes																(1,475)		(1,510)		(3,087)
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)																3		3		16
Net income	959	[6]	1,048		610	[6]	824		945		1,140	[7]	894	1,001		3,441	[6]	3,980	[7]	5,747
Net income and preferred dividends attributable to noncontrolling interests																(783)		(939)		(1,187)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders	707	[2],[3],[6],[8],[9]	821	[2],[8]	482	[10],[2],[6],[8],[9]	648	[2],[9]	743	[4],[5]	824	[7]	710	764	[11]	2,658	[10],[2],[3],[6],[8],[9]	3,041	[11],[4],[5],[7]	4,560
Other comprehensive income																101
Total comprehensive income (loss)																2,759		3,000		4,418
FCX Issuer [Member]
Condensed Comprehensive Income Statements [Line Items]
Revenues																0
Cost of Goods Sold																5
Other operating costs and expenses																129
Total costs and expenses																134
Operating income																(134)
Interest expense, net																(319)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt																(45)
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																128
Other income (expense), net																61
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings																(309)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes																81
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)																2,886
Net income																2,658
Net income and preferred dividends attributable to noncontrolling interests																0
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders																2,658
Other comprehensive income																0
Total comprehensive income (loss)																2,658
FM O&G LLC Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Comprehensive Income Statements [Line Items]
Revenues																1,177
Cost of Goods Sold																976
Other operating costs and expenses																89
Total costs and expenses																1,065
Operating income																112
Interest expense, net																(129)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt																0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																0
Other income (expense), net																0
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings																(17)
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes																17
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)																281
Net income																281
Net income and preferred dividends attributable to noncontrolling interests																0
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders																281
Other comprehensive income																0
Total comprehensive income (loss)																281
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Comprehensive Income Statements [Line Items]
Revenues																19,744
Cost of Goods Sold																13,656
Other operating costs and expenses																715
Total costs and expenses																14,371
Operating income																5,373
Interest expense, net																(129)
Losses on early extinguishment of debt																10
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																0
Other income (expense), net																(15)
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings																5,239
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes																(1,573)
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)																268
Net income																3,934
Net income and preferred dividends attributable to noncontrolling interests																(706)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders																3,228
Other comprehensive income																101
Total comprehensive income (loss)																3,329
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Comprehensive Income Statements [Line Items]
Revenues																0
Cost of Goods Sold																0
Other operating costs and expenses																0
Total costs and expenses																0
Operating income																0
Interest expense, net																59
Losses on early extinguishment of debt																0
Gain on investment in McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR)																0
Other income (expense), net																(59)
Income before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies' net earnings																0
Benefit from (provision for) income taxes																0
Equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses)																(3,432)
Net income																(3,432)
Net income and preferred dividends attributable to noncontrolling interests																(77)
Net income attributable to FCX common stockholders																(3,509)
Other comprehensive income																0
Total comprehensive income (loss)																$ (3,509)

[1] Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of the customer.

[2] Included charges of $14 million ($10 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.01 per share) in the first quarter, $61 million ($36 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.04 per share) in the second quarter, $1 million ($1 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders) in the third quarter, $4 million ($3 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders) in the fourth quarter and $80 million ($50 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.05 per share) for the year for transaction and related costs principally associated with the acquisitions of PXP and MMR.

[3] Included charges in the fourth quarter and for the year of (i) $76 million ($49 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.05 per share) associated with updated mine plans at Morenci that resulted in a loss in recoverable copper in leach stockpiles, (ii) $37 million ($23 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.02 per share) associated with the restructuring of an executive employment arrangement and (iii) $36 million ($13 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.01 per share) associated with a new labor agreement at Cerro Verde.

[4] Included a gain of $59 million ($31 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.03 per share) in the fourth quarter and for the year for the settlement of the insurance claim for business interruption and property damage relating to the 2011 incidents affecting PT-FI's concentrate pipelines. Refer to Note 12 for further discussion.

[5] Included a charge of $16 million ($8 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.01 per share) in the fourth quarter and for the year associated with a labor agreement at Candelaria. Also included charges of $9 million ($7 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.01 per share) for costs associated with the PXP and MMR transactions.

[6] Included a net tax benefit of $183 million ($0.19 per share) in the second quarter, $16 million ($0.01 per share) in the fourth quarter and $199 million ($0.20 per share) for the year associated with net reductions in FCX's deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax asset valuation allowances related to the acquisitions of PXP and MMR.

[7] Included a net tax benefit of $208 million ($108 million attributable to noncontrolling interests and $100 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.11 per share) in the third quarter and $205 million ($107 million attributable to noncontrolling interests and $98 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.11 per share) for the year associated with adjustments to Cerro Verde's deferred income taxes. Refer to Note 11 for further discussion.

[8] Included charges of $36 million ($23 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.02 per share) in the second quarter, $158 million ($98 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.09 per share) in the third quarter, $118 million ($73 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.07 per share) in the fourth quarter and $312 million ($194 million to net income attributable to FCX common stockholders or $0.19 per share) for the year 2013 (reflecting the seven-month period from June 1, 2013, to December 31, 2013) for net unrealized and noncash realized losses on crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts.

[9] Included net losses (gains) on early extinguishment of debt totaling $40 million ($0.04 per share) in the first quarter, $(5) million ($(0.01) per share) in the second quarter for an adjustment related to taxes on the first quarter losses, $(7) million ($(0.01) per share) in the fourth quarter and $28 million ($0.03 per share) for the year. Refer to Note 8 for further discussion.

[10] Included a gain of $128 million ($0.13 per share) in the second quarter and for the year primarily related to FCX's preferred stock investment in and the subsequent acquisition of MMR.

[11] Included losses on early extinguishment of debt totaling $149 million ($0.16 per share) in the first quarter and for the year. Refer to Note 8 for further discussion.