OTHER LIABILITIES, INCLUDING EMPLOYEE BENEFITS (Schedule of Disclosures) (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended																									12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] FMC Plans [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] FMC Plans [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Pension plan [Member] FCX [Member] FMC Plans [Member]		Dec. 31, 2014 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] IDR	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] PT Freeport Indonesia [Member] IDR	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] Postretirement Medical Insurance [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Pension plan [Member] Postretirement Medical And Life Insurance [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Pension plan [Member] Postretirement Medical And Life Insurance [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Pension plan [Member] Postretirement Medical And Life Insurance [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Other Benefits [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Benefits [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Pension plan [Member]
Schedule of disclosures of defined benefit plans [Line Items]
Exchange Rate Of Rupiah To Dollars																								12,128	9,622
Defined benefit plan, expected return on plan assets	7.50%																		7.75%
Change in benefit obligation [Roll Forward]
Benefit obligation at beginning of year						$ 1,871	$ 1,954		$ 1,791									$ 259	$ 240		$ 206						$ 213	$ 223
Service cost							30		27		24								20		17		13				1	1
Interest cost							77		79		83								14		14		11				7	9
Actuarial losses (gains)							(103)		142										13		25						(24)	2
Plan Amendment							0		0										33		0						6	0
Foreign exchange losses (gains)							1		1										(53)		(13)
Benefits paid							(88)		(86)										(8)		(9)						(34)	(35)
Benefits paid, net of employee and joint venture partner contributions, and Medicare Part D subsidy																											(21)	(22)
Benefits obligation at end of year							1,871		1,954		1,791								259		240		206				182	213	223
Change in plan assets [Roll Forward]
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year						1,350	1,300		1,141									124	130		107						0	0
Actual return on plan assets							112		140										(3)		12
Employer contributions							26	[1]	105	[1]									35	[1]	26	[1]					23	25
Employee contributions																											11	10
Foreign exchange gains (losses)							0		0										(30)		(6)
Benefits paid							(88)		(86)										(8)		(9)						(34)	(35)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year							1,350		1,300		1,141								124		130		107				0	0	0
Funded status at end of year							(521)		(654)										(135)		(110)						(182)	(213)
Accumulated benefit obligation							1,742		1,842										141		136
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations [Abstract]
Discount rate							5.00%		4.10%										9.00%		6.25%						4.30%	3.50%
Rate of compensation increase							3.75%	[2]	3.75%	[2]									10.00%	[2]	8.00%	[2]
Balance sheet classification of funded status: [Abstract]
Other assets							8		7										0		0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities							(4)		(4)										0		0						(19)	(21)		9	8
Other liabilities							(525)		(657)										(135)		(110)						(163)	(192)		75	69
Total							(521)		(654)										(135)		(110)						(182)	(213)
Estimated future employer contributions in next fiscal year						5												22
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations [Abstract]
Discount rate												4.10%	[3]	4.60%	[3]	5.40%	[3]		6.25%		7.00%		8.50%				3.50%	4.20%	4.90%
Expected return on plan assets												7.50%	[3]	7.50%	[3]	8.00%	[3]		7.50%		9.25%		9.25%
Rate of compensation increase												3.75%	[3]	3.75%	[3]	3.75%	[3]		8.00%		8.00%		8.00%
Threshold for Amortization of Actuarial Gains (Losses), Percent																																10.00%
Components of net periodic benefit (income) cost and other amounts recognized in other comprehensive income [Abstract]
Service cost							30		27		24								20		17		13				1	1
Interest cost							77		79		83								14		14		11				7	9
Expected return on plan assets							(95)		(86)		(86)								(10)		(9)		(9)
Amortization of prior service cost							0		(1)		(1)								0		1		1
Amortization of net actuarial losses							38		33		19								8		7		3
Net periodic benefit cost							50		52		39								32		30		19
Amounts recognized in other comprehensive loss (income) [Abstract]
Prior service (credit) cost	33			32	(2)
Prior service (credit) cost, net of tax	21	0	0	17	(1)
Actuarial net loss (gain)				542	705
Actuarial net loss (gain), net of tax	(85)	66	137	326	429
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, before Tax				574	703
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Adjustment, Net of Tax				343	428
Estimated actuarial net loss (gain) in next fiscal year				25
Estimated actuarial net loss (gain) in next fiscal year, net of tax				15
Assumed health care cost trend rates abstract
Health care cost trend rates for the next fiscal year																										7.75%
Duration over which health care costs reach ultimate trend rate	15 years
Ultimate health care cost trend rate																										4.25%
Expected cash flows for benefit plans [Abstract]
2014							93												21	[4]							19
2015							147												12	[4]							18
2016							99												13	[4]							17
2017							102												18	[4]							16
2018							106												21	[4]							15
2019-2023							584												194	[4]							70
Estimated Other Comprehensive Income, Defined Benefit Plans, Prior Service Cost Arising During Period, Before Tax				3
Estimated Other Comprehensive Income, Defined Benefit Plans, Prior Service Cost Arising During Period, Net of Tax				$ 2

[1] Employer contributions for 2014 are expected to approximate $5 million for the FCX plans and $22 million for the PT-FI plan (based on a December 31, 2013, exchange rate of 12,128 Indonesian rupiah to one U.S. dollar).

[2] The rate of compensation increase shown for the PT-FI plan in 2013 related to non-staff employees (staff employees was 8 percent).

[3] The assumptions shown relate only to the FMC plans.

[4] Based on a December 31, 2013, exchange rate of 12,128 Indonesian rupiah to one U.S. dollar.