Earnings Per Share (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net (loss) income		$ (3,790)	$ 704	$ (7,995)	$ 1,990
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(29)	(142)	(129)	(416)
Preferred dividends on redeemable noncontrolling interest		(11)	(10)	(31)	(30)
Undistributed earnings allocable to participating securities		(3)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Net (loss) income allocable to common stockholders		$ (3,833)	$ 550	$ (8,158)	$ 1,540
Basic weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding		1,071	1,039	1,050	1,039
Add shares issuable upon exercise or vesting of dilutive stock options and RSUs	[1]	0	7	0	6
Diluted weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding		1,071	1,046	1,050	1,045
Basic net (loss) income per share attributable to common stockholders		$ (3.58)	$ 0.53	$ (7.77)	$ 1.48
Diluted net (loss) income per share attributable to common stockholders		$ (3.58)	$ 0.53	$ (7.77)	$ 1.47
Potential anti-dilutive additional shares of common stock (in shares)		7	5	10	3
Outstanding stock options with exercise prices greater than average market price of common stock (in shares)		48	25	45	28

[1] Excludes approximately 7 million shares of common stock for third-quarter 2015, 5 million for third-quarter 2014, 10 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, and 3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, associated with outstanding stock options with exercise prices less than the average market price of FCX's common stock and RSUs that were anti-dilutive.