OWNERSHIP IN SUBSIDIARIES AND JOINT VENTURES	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Ownership In Subsidiaries And Joint Ventures	OWNERSHIP IN SUBSIDIARIES AND JOINT VENTURES Ownership in Subsidiaries. FMC produces copper and molybdenum, with mines in North America and South America. At December 31, 2018, FMC’s operating mines in North America were Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami located in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino located in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax located in Colorado. FCX has a 72 percent interest (subsequent to the sale of a 13 percent undivided interest on May 31, 2016) in Morenci (refer to “Joint Ventures – Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc.”) and owns 100 percent of the other North America mines. At December 31, 2018, operating mines in South America were Cerro Verde (53.56 percent owned) located in Peru and El Abra (51 percent owned) located in Chile. At December 31, 2018, FMC’s net assets totaled $16.0 billion and its accumulated deficit totaled $14.0 billion. FCX had no loans outstanding to FMC at December 31, 2018. FCX’s direct share ownership in PT-FI totaled 81.28 percent through December 21, 2018, and 48.76 percent thereafter. PTI owned 9.36 percent of PT-FI through December 21, 2018, and FCX owned 100 percent of PTI through December 21, 2018. Refer to Note 2 for a discussion of the PT-FI divestment. Refer to “Joint Ventures - Former Rio Tinto Joint Venture” for discussion of PT-FI’s unincorporated joint venture. At December 31, 2018, PT-FI’s net assets totaled $10.5 billion and its retained earnings totaled $6.6 billion. FCX had $76 million in intercompany loans to PT-FI outstanding at December 31, 2018. FCX owns 100 percent of the outstanding Atlantic Copper common stock. At December 31, 2018, Atlantic Copper’s net liabilities totaled $23 million and its accumulated deficit totaled $436 million. FCX had $434 million in intercompany loans to Atlantic Copper outstanding at December 31, 2018. FCX owns 100 percent of FM O&G, which, as of December 31, 2018, has oil and gas assets that primarily include natural gas production onshore in South Louisiana and oil production offshore California. At December 31, 2018, FM O&G’s net liabilities totaled $14.2 billion and its accumulated deficit totaled $25.8 billion. FCX had $10.6 billion in intercompany loans to FM O&G outstanding at December 31, 2018, which were fully impaired. Joint Ventures. FCX has the following unincorporated joint ventures. Former Rio Tinto Joint Venture. On December 21, 2018, PT-FI acquired Rio Tinto’s interest in the joint venture and is consolidating 100 percent of the Indonesia operations (refer to Note 2 for discussion of the PT-FI divestment). Pursuant to Rio Tinto’s previous joint venture agreement with PT-FI, Rio Tinto had a 40 percent interest in certain assets and future production exceeding specified annual amounts of copper, gold and silver through 2022 in Block A of PT-FI’s former Contract of Work (COW), and, after 2022, a 40 percent interest in all production from Block A. The amount due Rio Tinto for its share of joint venture cash flows was $30 million at December 31, 2017. Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. FMC owns a 72 percent undivided interest in Morenci via an unincorporated joint venture. The remaining 28 percent is owned by Sumitomo (15 percent) and SMM Morenci, Inc. (13 percent). Each partner takes in kind its share of Morenci’s production. FMC purchased 178 million pounds of Morenci’s copper cathode from Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. at market prices for $519 million during 2018. FMC had receivables from Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. totaling $13 million at December 31, 2018, and $18 million at December 31, 2017.

OWNERSHIP IN SUBSIDIARIES AND JOINT VENTURES

Ownership in Subsidiaries. FMC produces copper and molybdenum, with mines in North America and South America. At December 31, 2018, FMC’s operating mines in North America were Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami located in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino located in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax located in Colorado. FCX has a 72 percent interest (subsequent to the sale of a 13 percent undivided interest on May 31, 2016) in Morenci (refer to “Joint Ventures – Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc.”) and owns 100 percent of the other North America mines. At December 31, 2018, operating mines in South America were Cerro Verde (53.56 percent owned) located in Peru and El Abra (51 percent owned) located in Chile. At December 31, 2018, FMC’s net assets totaled $16.0 billion and its accumulated deficit totaled $14.0 billion. FCX had no loans outstanding to FMC at December 31, 2018.

FCX’s direct share ownership in PT-FI totaled 81.28 percent through December 21, 2018, and 48.76 percent thereafter. PTI owned 9.36 percent of PT-FI through December 21, 2018, and FCX owned 100 percent of PTI through December 21, 2018. Refer to Note 2 for a discussion of the PT-FI divestment. Refer to “Joint Ventures - Former Rio Tinto Joint Venture” for discussion of PT-FI’s unincorporated joint venture. At December 31, 2018, PT-FI’s net assets totaled $10.5 billion and its retained earnings totaled $6.6 billion. FCX had $76 million in intercompany loans to PT-FI outstanding at December 31, 2018.

FCX owns 100 percent of the outstanding Atlantic Copper common stock. At December 31, 2018, Atlantic Copper’s net liabilities totaled $23 million and its accumulated deficit totaled $436 million. FCX had $434 million in intercompany loans to Atlantic Copper outstanding at December 31, 2018.

FCX owns 100 percent of FM O&G, which, as of December 31, 2018, has oil and gas assets that primarily include natural gas production onshore in South Louisiana and oil production offshore California. At December 31, 2018, FM O&G’s net liabilities totaled $14.2 billion and its accumulated deficit totaled $25.8 billion. FCX had $10.6 billion in intercompany loans to FM O&G outstanding at December 31, 2018, which were fully impaired.

Joint Ventures. FCX has the following unincorporated joint ventures.

Former Rio Tinto Joint Venture. On December 21, 2018, PT-FI acquired Rio Tinto’s interest in the joint venture and is consolidating 100 percent of the Indonesia operations (refer to Note 2 for discussion of the PT-FI divestment). Pursuant to Rio Tinto’s previous joint venture agreement with PT-FI, Rio Tinto had a 40 percent interest in certain assets and future production exceeding specified annual amounts of copper, gold and silver through 2022 in Block A of PT-FI’s former Contract of Work (COW), and, after 2022, a 40 percent interest in all production from Block A. The amount due Rio Tinto for its share of joint venture cash flows was $30 million at December 31, 2017.

Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. FMC owns a 72 percent undivided interest in Morenci via an unincorporated joint venture. The remaining 28 percent is owned by Sumitomo (15 percent) and SMM Morenci, Inc. (13 percent). Each partner takes in kind its share of Morenci’s production. FMC purchased 178 million pounds of Morenci’s copper cathode from Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. at market prices for $519 million during 2018. FMC had receivables from Sumitomo and SMM Morenci, Inc. totaling $13 million at December 31, 2018, and $18 million at December 31, 2017.