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Financial Instruments (Unaudited)
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
Financial Instruments FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
FCX does not purchase, hold or sell derivative financial instruments unless there is an existing asset or obligation, or it anticipates a future activity that is likely to occur and will result in exposure to market risks, which FCX intends to offset or mitigate. FCX does not enter into any derivative financial instruments for speculative purposes but has entered into derivative financial instruments in limited instances to achieve specific objectives. These objectives principally relate to managing risks associated with commodity price changes, foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates.

Commodity Contracts.  From time to time, FCX has entered into derivative contracts to hedge the market risk associated with fluctuations in the prices of commodities it purchases and sells. Derivative financial instruments used by FCX to manage its risks do not contain credit risk-related contingent provisions.

In April 2020, FCX entered into forward sales contracts for 150 million pounds of copper for settlement in May and June of 2020. The forward sales provided for fixed pricing of $2.34 per pound of copper on approximately 60
percent of North America's sales volumes for May and June 2020. These contracts resulted in hedging losses
totaling $24 million in second-quarter 2020 and for the six months ended June 30, 2020. There were no remaining
forward sales contracts as of June 30, 2020.

A discussion of FCX’s other derivative contracts and programs follows:

Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments – Fair Value Hedges
Copper Futures and Swap Contracts. Some of FCX’s U.S. copper rod and cathode customers request a fixed market price instead of the Commodity Exchange Inc. (COMEX) average copper price in the month of shipment. FCX hedges this price exposure in a manner that allows it to receive the COMEX average price in the month of shipment while the customers pay the fixed price they requested. FCX accomplishes this by entering into copper futures or swap contracts. Hedging gains or losses from these copper futures and swap contracts are recorded in revenues. FCX did not have any significant gains or losses resulting from hedge ineffectiveness during the six-month periods ended June 30, 2021 and 2020. At June 30, 2021, FCX held copper futures and swap contracts that qualified for hedge accounting for 80 million pounds at an average contract price of $4.20 per pound, with maturities through May 2023.

A summary of gains (losses) recognized in revenues for derivative financial instruments related to commodity contracts that are designated and qualify as fair value hedge transactions, including the unrealized (losses) gains on the related hedged item follows (in millions):
 Three Months EndedSix Months Ended
June 30,June 30,
 2021202020212020
Copper futures and swap contracts:  
Unrealized (losses) gains:  
Derivative financial instruments$(11)$40 $(8)$7 
Hedged item – firm sales commitments11 (40)8 (7)
Realized gains (losses):  
Matured derivative financial instruments28 (8)52 (17)
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
Embedded Derivatives. Certain FCX concentrate, copper cathode and gold sales contracts provide for provisional pricing primarily based on the London Metal Exchange (LME) copper price or the COMEX copper price and the London Bullion Market Association (London) gold price at the time of shipment as specified in the contract. FCX receives market prices based on prices in the specified future month, which results in price fluctuations recorded in revenues until the date of settlement. FCX records revenues and invoices customers at the time of shipment based on then-current LME or COMEX copper prices and the London gold prices as specified in the contracts, which results in an embedded derivative (i.e., a pricing mechanism that is finalized after the time of delivery) that is required to be bifurcated from the host contract. The host contract is the sale of the metals contained in the concentrate or cathode at the then-current LME or COMEX copper price, and the London gold price. FCX applies the normal purchases and normal sales scope exception in accordance with derivatives and hedge accounting guidance to the host contract in its concentrate or cathode sales agreements since these contracts do not allow for net settlement and always result in physical delivery. The embedded derivative does not qualify for hedge accounting and is adjusted to fair value through earnings each period, using the period-end LME or COMEX copper forward prices and the adjusted London gold prices, until the date of final pricing. Similarly, FCX purchases copper under contracts that provide for provisional pricing. Mark-to-market price fluctuations from these embedded derivatives are recorded through the settlement date and are reflected in revenues for sales contracts and in inventory for purchase contracts.

A summary of FCX’s embedded derivatives at June 30, 2021, follows:
Open PositionsAverage Price
Per Unit		Maturities Through
 ContractMarket
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales contracts:    
Copper (millions of pounds)597 $4.31 $4.25 December 2021
Gold (thousands of ounces)157 1,848 1,762 September 2021
Embedded derivatives in provisional purchase contracts:  
Copper (millions of pounds)115 4.30 4.25 November 2021

Copper Forward Contracts. Atlantic Copper, FCX’s wholly owned smelting and refining unit in Spain, enters into copper forward contracts designed to hedge its copper price risk whenever its physical purchases and sales pricing periods do not match. These economic hedge transactions are intended to hedge against changes in copper prices, with the mark-to-market hedging gains or losses recorded in production and delivery costs. At June 30, 2021, Atlantic Copper held net copper forward purchase contracts for 17 million pounds at an average contract price of $4.36 per pound, with maturities through August 2021.

Summary of Gains (Losses). A summary of the realized and unrealized gains (losses) recognized in operating income for commodity contracts that do not qualify as hedge transactions, including embedded derivatives, follows (in millions):
 Three Months EndedSix Months Ended
June 30,June 30,
 2021202020212020
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales contracts:a
Copper$118 $162 $325 $(76)
Gold and other metals15 17 (13)24 
Copper forward contractsb
(5)(4)(13)19 
a.Amounts recorded in revenues. 
b.Amounts recorded in cost of sales as production and delivery costs.
Unsettled Derivative Financial Instruments
A summary of the fair values of unsettled commodity derivative financial instruments follows (in millions):
June 30,
2021		December 31, 2020
Commodity Derivative Assets:  
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
  
Copper futures and swap contracts$8 $15 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
  
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/purchase contracts62 169 
Copper forward contracts2 — 
Total derivative assets$72 $184 
Commodity Derivative Liabilities:
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Copper futures and swap contracts$1 $— 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Embedded derivatives in provisional sales/purchase contracts103 21 
Copper forward contracts4 — 
Total derivative liabilities$108 $21 

FCX’s commodity contracts have netting arrangements with counterparties with which the right of offset exists, and it is FCX’s policy to generally offset balances by contract on its balance sheet. FCX’s embedded derivatives on provisional sales/purchase contracts are netted with the corresponding outstanding receivable/payable balances.

A summary of these unsettled commodity contracts that are offset in the balance sheets follows (in millions):
AssetsLiabilities
June 30,
2021		December 31, 2020June 30,
2021		December 31, 2020
Gross amounts recognized:
Embedded derivatives in provisional
sales/purchase contracts$62 $169 $103 $21 
Copper derivatives10 15 5 — 
72 184 108 21 
Less gross amounts of offset:
Embedded derivatives in provisional
sales/purchase contracts14 1 14 1 
Copper derivatives2 — 2 — 
16 1 16 1 
Net amounts presented in balance sheet:
Embedded derivatives in provisional
sales/purchase contracts48 168 89 20 
Copper derivatives8 15 3 — 
$56 $183 $92 $20 
Balance sheet classification:
Trade accounts receivable$30 $168 $62 $— 
Other current assets8 15 — — 
Other assets1 — — — 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities17 — 29 20 
Other liabilities— — 1 — 
$56 $183 $92 $20 

Credit Risk.  FCX is exposed to credit loss when financial institutions with which it has entered into derivative transactions (commodity, foreign exchange and interest rate swaps) are unable to pay. To minimize the risk of such losses, FCX uses counterparties that meet certain credit requirements and periodically reviews the creditworthiness of these counterparties. As of June 30, 2021, the maximum amount of credit exposure associated with derivative transactions was $72 million.
Other Financial Instruments.  Other financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, restricted cash equivalents, accounts receivable, investment securities, legally restricted funds, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, dividends payable and debt. The carrying value for cash and cash equivalents (which included time deposits of $0.2 billion at June 30, 2021, and $0.3 billion at December 31, 2020), restricted cash, restricted cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and dividends payable approximates fair value because of their short-term nature and generally negligible credit losses (refer to Note 7 for the fair values of investment securities, legally restricted funds and debt).

In addition, as of June 30, 2021, FCX has contingent consideration assets related to the sales of certain oil and gas properties (refer to Note 7 for the related fair values).

Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents. The following table provides a reconciliation of total cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows (in millions):
June 30,
2021		December 31, 2020
Balance sheet components:
Cash and cash equivalents$6,313 $3,657 
Restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents included in:
Other current assets116 97 
Other assets140 149 
Total cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents presented in the consolidated statements of cash flows$6,569 $3,903