10-K 1 a2014form10-k.htm FCX 2014 10-K

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ¨ Yes þ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). þ Yes ¨ No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. þ Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨ Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ¨ Yes þ No

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $21.8 billion on February 20, 2015, and $37.3 billion on June 30, 2014.

Common stock issued and outstanding was 1,039,863,035 shares on February 20, 2015, and 1,038,896,868 shares on June 30, 2014.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

i

PART I

Items 1. and 2. Business and Properties.

All of our periodic reports filed with the United States (U.S.) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available, free of charge, through our website, www.fcx.com, including our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Fo

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This report contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of United States (U.S.) federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical facts, such as projections or expectations relating to ore grades and milling rates; production and sales volumes; unit net cash costs; cash production costs per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE); operating cash flows; capital expenditures; exploration efforts and results; development and production activities and costs; liquidity; tax rates; the impact of copper, gold, molybdenum, cobalt crude oil and natural gas price changes; the impact of derivative positions; the impact of deferred intercompany profits on earnings; reserve estimates; future dividend payments; debt reduction; and share purchases.

We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated, projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that can cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements include the following:

Financial risks

Declines in the market prices of copper, gold and/or oil could adversely affect our earnings, cash flows and asset values and, if sustained, could adversely affect our ability to repay debt. Fluctuations in the market prices of copper, gold or oil can cause significant volatility in our financial performance and adversely affect the trading prices of our debt and common stock.

Our financial results vary with fluctuations in the market prices of the commodities we produce, primarily copper, gold and oil, and to a lesser extent molybdenum, silver, cobalt and natural gas. For further information about the market prices of our primary commodities, including the declines in copper and oil prices since mid-2014, refer to the discussion below and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A). A substantial or extended decline in the market prices of these commodities could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, the value of our assets and/or our ability to repay our debt and meet our other fixed obligations, and could depress the trading prices of our common stock and of our publicly traded debt securities.

Additionally, if the market prices for the commodities we produce decline for a sustained period of time, we may have to revise our operating plans, including curtailing production, halting or delaying expansion projects, reducing operating costs and capital expenditures and discontinuing certain exploration and development programs. We may be unable to decrease our costs in an amount sufficient to offset reductions in revenues, and may incur losses.

Fluctuations in commodities prices can occur because of varied and complex factors beyond our control, including global supply and demand balances and inventory levels of the commodities we sell; global economic and political conditions; government regulatory, trade and tax policies; commodities investment activity and speculation; the price and availability of substitute products; and changes in technology.

In particular, copper prices may be affected by demand from China, which has become the largest consumer of refined copper in the world, and by changes in demand for industrial, commercial and residential products containing copper. Factors particularly affecting gold prices may include the relative strength of the U.S. dollar to other currencies, inflation and interest rate expectations, purchases and sales of gold by governments and central banks, demand from China and India, two of the world’s largest consumers of gold, and demand for jewelry containing gold. Crude oil prices may be affected by continued development of shale reserves through hydraulic fracturing, actions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major oil producing nations, political and weather conditions in oil producing regions, transportation and refinery capacity, the amount of foreign imports of oil into the U.S., and potential changes in U.S. laws restricting oil exports.

Since the second half of 2014, oil prices have declined significantly. After averaging $109 per barrel in the first half of 2014, Brent crude oil prices averaged $90 per barrel for the second half of 2014 and declined to $57.33 per barrel on December 31, 2014, and were $60.22 per barrel on February 20, 2015. Lower oil prices, and to a lesser extent natural gas prices, were a contributing factor to the $5.5 billion of non-cash impairment charges recorded for the year ended December 31, 2014, to write-down the carrying value of our oil and gas properties and reduce the goodwill associated with our oil and gas operations to zero. Refer to Notes 1 and 2 and MD&A for further discussion of these impairment charges. Sustained weaker oil and natural gas prices could result in additional impairments of our oil and gas properties.

Copper prices have also declined. During 2014, the London Metal Exchange (LME) spot copper prices ranged from a low of $2.86 per pound to a high of $3.38 per pound and averaged $3.11 per pound. The LME spot copper price closed at $2.88 per pound on December 31, 2014, and has declined to $2.59 per pound on February 20, 2015. Sustained lower copper prices could result in impairment of our long-lived mining assets and/or lower of cost or market inventory adjustments.

Refer to Note 1 and MD&A for further discussion of our accounting policies and estimates used in evaluating impairment of our long-lived assets and our oil and gas properties.

Our debt and other financial commitments may limit our financial and operating flexibility.

At December 31, 2014, our total consolidated debt was $19.0 billion (see Note 8) and our total consolidated cash was $464 million. We also have various other financial commitments, including for reclamation and environmental obligations, take-or-pay contracts and leases. Our level of indebtedness and other financial commitments could have important consequences to our business, including the following:

In addition, a future downgrade in our credit rating could negatively affect our cost of and ability to access capital. At February 20, 2015, our senior unsecured debt was rated "BBB-" with a stable outlook by Standard and Poor’s, "BBB" with a stable outlook by Fitch Ratings, and "Baa3" with a stable outlook by Moody’s Investors Service. We cannot be assured that our credit ratings will not be downgraded in the future. In addition, a downgrade could affect our requirements to provide significant financial assurance of our performance under certain legal requirements and contractual arrangements. Refer to the following risk factor for more information.

Mine closure and reclamation regulations impose substantial costs on our operations, and include requirements that we provide financial assurance supporting those obligations. We also have plugging and abandonment obligations related to our oil and gas operations, and are required to provide bonds or o

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Not applicable.

We are involved in numerous legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business or are associated with environmental issues arising from legacy operations conducted over the years by Freeport Minerals Corporation (FMC) and its affiliates. We are also involved periodically in inquiries, investigations and other proceedings initiated by or involving government agencies, some of which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. Management does not believe, based on currently available information, that the outcome of any legal proceeding will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition; although individual outcomes could be material to our operating results for a particular period, depending on the nature and magnitude of the outcome and the operating results for the period. Below is a discussion of our material water rights legal proceedings. Refer to Note 12 for discussion of our other material legal proceedings.

Water Rights Legal Proceedings

Our operations in the western United States (U.S.) require significant quantities of water for mining, ore processing and related support facilities. Continuous operation of our mines is dependent on our ability to maintain our water rights and claims and the continuing physical availability of the water supplies. In the arid western U.S., water rights are often contested, and disputes over water rights are generally time-consuming, expensive and not necessarily dispositive unless they resolve both actual and potential claims. The loss of a water right, loss of continued use of a currently available water supply, or inability to expand our water resources could materially and adversely affect our mining operations by significantly increasing the cost of water, forcing us to curtail operations, preventing us from expanding operations or forcing premature closures, thereby increasing and/or accelerating costs and foregoing profitable operations.

At our North America operations, certain of our water supplies are supported by surface water rights, which give us the right to use public waters for a statutorily defined beneficial use at a designated location. In Arizona, where our operations use both surface and groundwater, we are a participant in two active general stream adjudications in which the Arizona courts have been attempting, for over 40 years, to quantify and prioritize surface water claims for two of the state's largest river systems, which affect four of our operating mines (Morenci, Safford, Sierrita and Miami). The legal precedent set in these proceedings may also affect our Bagdad mine. The adjudications are addressing the state law claims of thousands of competing users, including us, as well as very significant federally based water claims of U.S. interests in Arizona that are potentially adverse to the claims of surface water and groundwater users under state law. Groundwater is treated differently from surface water under Arizona law, which historically allowed land owners to pump at will, subject to the doctrine of reasonable use. However, court decisions in one of the adjudications have concluded that groundwater pumping may affect surface water, thereby effectively making it surface water and bringing the pumping within the jurisdiction of the general stream adjudications. The effort to define the boundaries between groundwater and surface water remains contested and is currently the principal focus of one of those adjudications. Because groundwater accounts for approximately 40 percent of Arizona's water supplies, the re-characterization of any significant portion of that water as surface water could jeopardize the ability of consumers, farmers, ranchers, municipalities, and industrial users like us, to continue to access water supplies that have been relied on for decades. Additionally, the adjudication court is currently addressing the quantification of several U.S. federal water rights claims. The legal precedent in these proceedings may affect the adjudication of federal water right claims near our Arizona operations. Because we are a significant user of both groundwater and surface water in Arizona, we are an active participant in the adjudication proceedings.

In Re the General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Little Colorado Water System and Sources, Apache County, Superior Court, No. 6417, filed on or about February 17, 1978. The principal parties, in addition to us, include: the state of Arizona; the Salt River Project; the Arizona Public Service Company; the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Indian Tribe; the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe; and the U.S. on behalf of those tribes, on its own behalf, and on behalf of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. This case involves adjudication of water rights claims, including federal claims, in the Little Colorado River watershed.

In Re The General Adjudication of All Rights to Use Water in the Gila River System and Sources, Maricopa County, Superior Court, Cause Nos. W-1 (Salt), W-2 (Verde), W-3 (Upper Gila), and W-4 (San Pedro). This case was originally initiated in 1974 with the filing of a petition with the Arizona State Land Department and was consolidated and transferred to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 1981. The principal parties, in addition to us, include: the state of Arizona; the Gila Valley Irrigation District; the Franklin Irrigation District; the San Carlos Irrigation and Drainage District; the Salt River Project; the San Carlos Apache Tribe; the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC); and the U.S. on behalf of those tribes, on its own behalf, and on behalf of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the

Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache Indian Community, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and the Payson Community of Yavapai Apache Indians.

Prior to January 1, 1983, various Indian tribes filed suits in the U.S. District Court in Arizona claiming superior rights to water being used by many other water users, including us, and claiming damages for prior use in derogation of their allegedly superior rights. These federal proceedings have been stayed pending the Arizona Superior Court adjudications.

The Maricopa County Superior Court issued a decision in 2005 in the Gila River adjudication that directed the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) to prepare detailed recommendations regarding the delineation of the “sub-flow” zone of the San Pedro River basin, a tributary of the Gila River. According to the court, the sub-flow zone is the subsurface area adjacent to the river where the court may find that groundwater is connected to the surface water such that groundwater pumping may reduce surface flows in violation of rights of holders of surface water rights. Although we have minimal interests in the San Pedro River basin, a decision that re-characterizes groundwater in that basin as surface water may set a precedent for other river systems in Arizona that could have material implications for many commercial, industrial, municipal and agricultural users of groundwater, including our Arizona operations.

ADWR produced its recommendations in June 2009 which were objected to by numerous parties. Following a three-day hearing held in January 2012, the court directed ADWR to submit a further report detailing the additional work it deemed necessary to properly delineate the San Pedro River basin subflow zone. On January 10, 2013, the court issued an order instructing ADWR to complete additional technical work and submit a new report. ADWR submitted its revised report on April 1, 2014, and on October 1, 2014, the parties submitted their comments to the revised report. Also on October 1, 2014, as directed by the court, ADWR submitted a proposal for the next projects that ADWR believes should be undertaken in the case. Among these next projects is the development of procedures for "cone of depression" analyses in the San Pedro River watershed to determine whether a well located outside of the subflow zone creates a cone of depression that intersects the subflow zone and causes a 0.1 foot or greater drawdown in the subflow of the river. Based on the cone of depression analyses, wells outside of the subflow zone could be determined by the court to be subject to the jurisdiction of the adjudication court, which may require the owners of those wells to either demonstrate a valid surface water claim to support such pumping or potentially be subject to compliance or damages claims. On November 6, 2014, the court held a hearing to address the parties’ comments to ADWR’s revised report and to discuss ADWR’s proposal for next projects. During that hearing, ADWR agreed to provide additional information to the parties by February 13, 2015, to facilitate better evaluation of ADWR’s methodologies and decision-making resulting in the revised report. Given the legal and technical complexity of this adjudication, its long history, and its long-term legal, economic and political implications, it is difficult to predict the timing or the outcome of this issue or of the overall adjudication. If we are unable to satisfactorily resolve the issues being addressed in this adjudication, our ability to pump groundwater could be diminished or curtailed, and our operations at Morenci, Safford, Sierrita, Miami and Bagdad could be adversely affected.

As part of the Gila River adjudication, the U.S. has asserted numerous claims for federal non-Indian reserved surface water and groundwater rights throughout Arizona. These claims are based on reservations of federal land for specific purposes (e.g., national parks, military bases and wilderness areas). Unlike state law-based water rights, federal reserved water rights are not based on a history of beneficial use of specific amounts of water. Instead, these rights are given priority in the prior appropriation system based on the date the land was reserved, not the date that water was first used on the land. As a result, these federal water rights can be very disruptive to existing state law-based water rights and uses, particularly groundwater uses.

Because federal reserved water rights have not been quantified, the task of determining how much water each federal reservation may use has been left to the Gila River adjudication court. Several “contested cases” to quantify reserved water rights for particular federal reservations are currently pending in the adjudication. In multiple instances, the U.S. asserts a right to all water in a particular watershed that was not effectively appropriated under state law prior to the reservation. This creates risks for both surface water users and groundwater users because such claims can severely impede current and future uses of water within the same watershed.

Federal reserved rights present additional risks to water users aside from the significant quantities of water claimed by the U.S. Of particular significance, federal reserved rights enjoy greater protection from groundwater pumping than is accorded to state law-based water rights.

Because there are numerous federal reservations in watersheds across Arizona, the reserved water right claims of the U.S. pose a significant risk to multiple operations, including Morenci and Safford in the Upper Gila River watershed, Sierrita in the Santa Cruz watershed, and Bagdad in the Bill Williams River watershed. Although the Bill Williams watershed is not part of the Gila River adjudication, decisions made in the Gila River adjudication may be asserted as precedents for similar federal claims in the Bill Williams watershed. Because federal reserved water rights may adversely affect water uses at each of these operations, we have been actively involved in litigation over these claims.

The safety and health of all employees is our highest priority. Management believes that safety and health considerations are integral to, and compatible with, all other functions in the organization and that proper safety and health management will enhance production and reduce costs. Our approach towards the health and safety of our workforce is to continuously improve performance through implementing robust management systems and providing adequate training, safety incentive and occupational health programs.

Our objective is zero work place injuries and occupational illnesses. We measure progress toward achieving our objective against regularly established benchmarks, including measuring company-wide Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR). Our TRIR (including contractors) was 0.56 per 200,000 man-hours worked in 2014, 0.74 per 200,000 man-hours worked in 2013 and 0.58 per 200,000 man-hours worked in 2012. The metal mining sector industry average reported by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) was 2.38 per 200,000 man-hours worked in 2013 and 2.27 per 200,000 man-hours worked in 2012. The metal mining sector industry average for 2014 was not available at the time of this filing.

Refer to Exhibit 95.1 for mine safety disclosures required in accordance with Section 1503(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and Item 104 of Regulation S-K.

Executive Officers of the Registrant.

Certain information as of February 20, 2015, about our executive officers is set forth in the following table and accompanying text:

James R. Moffett has served as Chairman of the Board since May 1992. Mr. Moffett previously served as the Chief Executive Officer from July 1995 until December 2003. He served as Co-Chairman of the Board of McMoRan Exploration Co. (MMR) from September 1998, and President and Chief Executive Officer from May 2010 until FCX's acquisition of MMR in 2013.

Richard C. Adkerson has served as Vice Chairman of the Board since June 2013, President since January 2008 and also from April 1997 to March 2007, Chief Executive Officer since December 2003 and a director since October 2006. Mr. Adkerson previously served as Chief Financial Officer from October 2000 to December 2003. Mr. Adkerson served as Co-Chairman of the Board of MMR from September 1998 until FCX's acquisition of MMR in 2013.

James C. Flores has served as Vice Chairman of the Board, and FM O&G President and Chief Executive Officer since June 2013. Mr. Flores previously served as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP) from September 2002 until FCX's acquisition of PXP in 2013.

Michael J. Arnold has served as Executive Vice President since March 2007 and Chief Administrative Officer since December 2003.

Kathleen L. Quirk has served as Executive Vice President since March 2007, Chief Financial Officer since December 2003 and Treasurer since February 2000. Ms. Quirk previously served as Senior Vice President from December 2003 to March 2007. Ms. Quirk served as the Senior Vice President of MMR from April 2002 and as Treasurer from January 2000 until FCX's acquisition of MMR in 2013.

PART II

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

None.

Common Stock

Our common shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “FCX.” The FCX share price is reported daily in the financial press under “FMCG” in most listings of NYSE securities. The table below shows the NYSE composite tape common share price ranges during 2014 and 2013:

At February 20, 2015, there were 15,149 holders of record of our common stock.

Common Stock Dividends

The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of the FCX Board of Directors (the Board) and will depend on our financial results, cash requirements, future prospects and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. In February 2012, the Board authorized an increase in the cash dividend on our common stock to the current annual rate of $1.25 per share ($0.3125 per share quarterly). The Board also authorized a supplemental common stock dividend of $1.00 per share that was paid in July 2013. Below is a summary of dividends on FCX common stock for 2014 and 2013:

On December 19, 2014, the Board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.3125 per share, which was paid on February 2, 2015, to common stockholders of record at the close of business on January 15, 2015.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The following table sets forth information with respect to shares of FCX common stock purchased by us during the three months ended December 31, 2014:

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA

The selected consolidated financial data shown above is derived from our audited consolidated financial statements. These historical results are not necessarily indicative of results that you can expect for any future period. You should read this data in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto contained in this annual report.

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA (Continued)

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MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.’s (the Company’s) management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) or 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the Company’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report on Form 10-K. In making this assessment, our management used the criteria set forth in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). Based on our management’s assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2014, our Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on the COSO criteria.

Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, who audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

We have audited Freeport-McMoRan Inc.’s (formerly Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). Freeport-McMoRan Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, and our report dated February 27, 2015 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Phoenix, Arizona

February 27, 2015

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (formerly Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.) as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures i

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Not applicable.

(a) Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. Our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, with the participation of management, have evaluated the effectiveness of our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) as of the end of the period covered by this annual report on Form 10-K. Based on their evaluation, they have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective as of the end of the period covered by this report.

(b) Changes in internal controls. There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2014, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

(c) Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting and the report thereon of Ernst & Young LLP are included herein under Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplemental Data.”

First Amendment to Term Loan

On February 27, 2015, FCX and FM O&G LLC, as borrowers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Bank of America, N.A., as syndication agent, and each of the lenders party thereto entered into the First Amendment to Term Loan Agreement dated as of February 27, 2015 (First Amendment) to the Term Loan Agreement dated as of February 14, 2013, among the borrowers, the administrative agent, the syndication agent, and each of the lenders party thereto.

Pursuant to the First Amendment, the amortization schedule was extended such that, as amended, the Term Loan’s scheduled payments total $225 million in 2016, $269 million in 2017, $1.1 billion in 2018, $299 million in 2019 and $1.2 billion in 2020, compared with $650 million in 2016, $200 million in 2017 and $2.2 billion in 2018.

In addition, the maximum total leverage ratio was modified consistent with the revolving credit facility amendment described below.

Second Amendment to Revolving Credit Facility

On February 27, 2015, FCX, PT-FI, and FM O&G LLC, as borrowers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, Bank of America, N.A., as syndication agent, and each of the lenders party thereto entered into the Second Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of February 27, 2015 (Second Amendment) to the Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of February 14, 2013, as amended by the First Amendment to Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of May 30, 2014, among the borrowers, the administrative agent, the syndication agent, and each of the lenders party thereto.

Pursuant to the Second Amendment, the maximum total leverage ratio (Debt/EBITDA) was modified to 4.75x in 2015 and 2016 (from the previous limit of 3.75x) with a step-down in 2017, reverting back to 3.75x in 2018.

As of February 26, 2015, there were borrowings of $1.1 billion and $44 million of letters of credit issued under the revolving credit facility, resulting in availability of approximately $2.9 billion, of which $1.5 billion could be used for additional letters of credit.

JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. and their respective affiliates have in the past engaged, and may in the future engage, in transactions with and perform services, including commercial banking, financial advisory and investment banking services, for FCX and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business for which JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Bank of America, N.A. have received or will receive customary fees and expenses.

For additional information about the Term Loan and the revolving credit facility, refer to Note 8.

PART III

The information set forth under the captions “Information About Director Nominees” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” of our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), relating to our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, is incorporated herein by reference. The information required by Item 10 regarding our executive officers appears in a separately captioned heading after Item 4 in Part I of this report.

The information set forth under the captions “Director Compensation” and “Executive Officer Compensation” of our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC, relating to our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, is incorporated herein by reference.

The information set forth under the captions “Stock Ownership of Directors and Executive Officers” and “Stock Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners” of our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC, relating to our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, is incorporated herein by reference.

The information set forth under the caption “Certain Transactions” of our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC, relating to our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, is incorporated herein by reference.

The information set forth under the caption “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” of our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC, relating to our 2015 annual meeting of stockholders, is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

(a)(1). Financial Statements.

The consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive (loss) income, cash flows and equity, and the consolidated balance sheets are included as part of Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

(a)(2). Financial Statement Schedules.

Reference is made to the Index to Financial Statements appearing on page F-1 hereof.

(a)(3). Exhibits.

Reference is made to the Exhibit Index beginning on page E-1 hereof.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Following is a glossary of selected terms used throughout the FCX Form 10-K that are technical in nature:

Mining

Adits. A horizontal passage leading into a mine for the purposes of access or drainage.

Agitation-leach plant. A processing plant that recovers copper and other metals by passing a slurry of finely ground ores mixed with acidic solutions through a series of continuously stirred tanks.

Alluvial aquifers. A water-bearing deposit of loosely arranged gravel, sand or silt left behind by a river or other flowing water.

Anode. A positively charged metal sheet, usually lead, on which oxidation occurs. During the electro-refining process, the anodes are impure copper sheets from the smelting process that require further processing to produce refined copper cathodes.

Azurite. A bluish supergene copper mineral and ore found in the oxidized portions of copper deposits often associated with malachite.

Bench. The horizontal floor cuttings along which mining progresses in an open-pit mine. As the pit progresses to lower levels, safety benches are left in the walls to catch any falling rock.

Blasthole stoping. An underground mining method that extracts the ore zone in large vertical rooms. The ore is broken by blasting using large-diameter vertical drill holes.

Block cave. A general term used to describe an underground mining method where the extraction of ore depends largely on the action of gravity. By continuously removing a thin horizontal layer at the bottom mining level of the ore column, the vertical support of the ore column is removed and the ore then caves by gravity.

Bornite. A red-brown isometric mineral comprising copper, iron and sulfur.

Brochantite. A greenish-black copper mineral occurring in the oxidation zone of copper sulfide deposits.

Carrollite. A cubic sulfide of cobalt with small amounts of copper, iron and nickel.

Cathode. Refined copper produced by electro-refining of impure copper or by electrowinning.

Chalcocite. A grayish copper sulfide mineral, usually found as a supergene in copper deposits formed from the re-deposition of copper minerals that were solubilized from the oxide portion of the deposit.

Chalcopyrite. A brass-yellow sulfide of mineral copper and iron.

Chrysocolla. A bluish-green to emerald-green oxide copper mineral that forms incrustations and thin seams in oxidized parts of copper-mineral veins; a source of copper and an ornamental stone.

Cobalt. A tough, lustrous, nickel-white or silvery-gray metallic element often associated with nickel and copper ores from which it is obtained as a by-product.

Concentrate. The resulting product from the concentrating process that is composed predominantly of copper sulfide or molybdenum sulfide minerals. Further processing might include smelting and electro-refining, or roasting.

Concentrating. The process by which ore is separated into metal concentrates through crushing, milling and flotation.

Concentrator. A process plant used to separate targeted minerals from gangue and produce a mineral concentrate that can be marketed or processed by additional downstream processes to produce salable metals or mineral products. Term is used interchangeably with Mill.

Contained copper. The percentage of copper in a mineral sample before the reduction of amounts unable to be recovered during the metallurgical process.

Copper sulfate. A solid copper product of blue crystals formed by evaporation and crystallization from a sulfate solution containing copper.

Covellite. A metallic, indigo-blue supergene mineral found in copper deposits.

Crushed-ore leach pad. A slightly sloping pad upon which leach ores are placed in lifts for processing.

Cutoff grade. The minimum percentage of copper contained in the ore for processing. When percentages are below this grade, the material would be routed to a high-lift or waste stockpile. When percentages are above grade, the material would be processed using concentrating or leaching methods for higher recovery.

Disseminations. A mineral deposit in which the desired minerals occur as scattered particles in the rock that has sufficient quantity to be considered an ore deposit.

Electrolytic refining. The purification of metals by electrolysis. A large piece of impure copper is used as the anode with a thin strip of pure copper as the cathode.

Electrowinning. A process that uses electricity to plate copper contained in an electrolyte solution into copper cathode.

Flotation. A concentrating process in which valuable minerals attach themselves to bubbles of an oily froth for separation as concentrate. The gangue material from the flotation process reports as a tailing product.

Grade. The relative quality or percentage of metal content.

Heterogenite. A cobalt mineral containing up to 4 percent copper oxide.

Leach stockpiles. A quantity of leachable ore placed on a leach pad or in another suitable location that permits leaching and collection of solutions that contain solubilized metal.

Leaching. The process of extracting copper using a chemical solution to dissolve copper contained in ore.

Malachite. A bright-green copper mineral (ore) that often occurs with azurite in oxidized zones of copper deposits.

Metric ton. The equivalent of 2,204.62 pounds.

Mill stockpile. Millable ore that has been mined and placed at the concentrator, and is available for future processing.

Mine-for-leach. A mining operation focused on mining only leachable ores.

Mineralization. The process by which a mineral is introduced into a rock, resulting in concentration of minerals that may form a valuable or potentially valuable deposit.

Molybdenite. A black, platy, disulfide of molybdenum. It is the most common ore of molybdenum.

Ore body. A continuous, well-defined mass of mineralized material of sufficient ore content to make extraction economically feasible.

Oxide. In mining, oxide is used as an ore classification relating to material that usually leaches well but does not perform well in a concentrator. Oxide minerals in mining refer to an oxidized form.

Porphyry. A deposit in which minerals of copper, molybdenum, gold or, less commonly, tungsten and tin are disseminated or occur in stock-work of small veinlets within a large mass of hydro-thermally altered igneous rock. The host rock is commonly an intrusive porphyry, but other rocks intruded by a porphyry can also be hosts for ore minerals.

Production level. With respect to underground mining, the elevation of the underground works that permit extraction/transport of the ore to a common point, shaft or plant.

Pseudomalachite. A dark-green monoclinic copper mineral.

Roasting. The heating of sulfide ores to oxidize sulfides to facilitate further processing.

Run-of-Mine (ROM). Leachable ore that is mined and directly placed on a leach pad without utilizing any further processes to reduce particle size prior to leaching.

Skarn. A Swedish mining term for silicate gangue of certain iron ore and sulfide deposits of Archaean age, particularly those that have replaced limestone and dolomite. Its meaning has been generally expanded to include lime-bearing silicates, of any geologic age, derived from nearly pure limestone and dolomite with the introduction of large amounts of silicon, aluminum, iron and magnesium.

Smelting. The process of melting and oxidizing concentrates to separate copper and precious metals from metallic and non-metallic impurities, including iron, silica, alumina and sulfur.

Solution extraction. A process that transfers copper from a copper-bearing ore to an organic solution, then to an electrolyte. The electrolyte is then pumped to a tankhouse where the copper is extracted, using electricity, into a copper cathode (refer to the term Electrowinning), together referred to solution extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW).

Spot price. The current price at which a commodity can be bought or sold at a specified time and place.

Stope. An underground mining method that is usually applied to highly inclined or vertical veins. Ore is extracted by driving horizontally upon it in a series of workings, one immediately over the other. Each horizontal working is called a stope because when a number of them are in progress, each working face under attack assumes the shape of a flight of stairs.

Sulfide. A mineral compound containing sulfur and a metal. Copper sulfides can be concentrated or leached, depending on the mineral type.

Tailing. The material remaining after economically recoverable metals and minerals have been extracted.

Tolling. The process of converting customer-owned material into specified products, which is then returned to the customer.

Oil and Gas

3-D seismic data. Seismic data which has been digitally recorded, processed and analyzed in a manner that permits three-dimensional displays of geologic structures.

API gravity. A system of classifying oil based on its specific gravity, whereby the greater the gravity, the lighter the oil.

Barrel or Bbl. One stock tank barrel, or 42 U.S. gallons liquid volume (used in reference to crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons).

Block. A block depicted on the Outer Continental Shelf Leasing and Official Protraction Diagrams issued by BOEM or a similar depiction on official protraction or similar diagrams issued by a state bordering on the Gulf of Mexico.

Blowouts. Accidents resulting from loss of hydraulic well control while conducting drilling operations.

Barrel of Oil Equivalent or BOE. One stock tank barrel equivalent of oil, calculated by converting gas volumes to equivalent oil barrels at a ratio of 6 thousand cubic feet to 1 barrel of oil.

British thermal unit or Btu. One British thermal unit is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Completion. The installation of permanent equipment for production of oil or gas, or, in the case of a dry well, the reporting to the appropriate authority that the well has been abandoned.

Condensate. A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in the gaseous phase at original reservoir temperature and pressure, but that, when produced, is in the liquid phase at surface pressure and temperature.

Cratering. The collapse of the circulation system dug around the drilling rig for the prevention of blowouts.

Deterministic estimate. The method of estimating reserves or resources is called deterministic when a single value for each parameter (from the geoscience, engineering, or economic data) in the reserves calculation is used in the reserves estimation procedure.

Developed oil and gas reserves. Developed oil and gas reserves are reserves of any category that can be expected to be recovered: (i) through existing wells with existing equipment and operating methods or in which the cost of the required equipment is relatively minor compared to the cost of a new well; and (ii) through installed extraction equipment and infrastructure operational at the time of the reserves estimate if the extraction is by means not involving a well.

Development well. A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or gas reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be productive.

Differential. An adjustment to the price of oil or natural gas from an established spot market price to reflect differences in the quality and/or location of oil or gas.

Exploratory well. A well drilled to find a new field or to find a new reservoir in a field previously found to be productive of oil or gas in another reservoir.

Field. An area consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on or related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or stratigraphic condition. There may be two or more reservoirs in a field that are separated vertically by intervening impervious, strata, or laterally by local geologic barriers, or by both. Reservoirs that are associated by being in overlapping or adjacent fields may be treated as a single or common operational field. The geological terms "structural feature" and "stratigraphic condition" are intended to identify localized geological features as opposed to the broader terms of basins, trends, provinces, plays, areas-of-interest, etc.

Gross well or gross acre. A well or acre in which the registrant owns a working interest. The numbers of gross wells is the total number of wells in which the registrant owns a working interest.

Net well or net acre. Deemed to exist when the sum of the fractional ownership working interests in gross wells or acres equals one. The number of net wells or acres is the sum of the fractional working interests owned in gross wells or acres expressed as whole numbers and fractions of whole numbers.

Natural gas liquids or NGLs. Hydrocarbons (primarily ethane, propane, butane and natural gasolines) which have been extracted from wet natural gas and become liquid under various combinations of increasing pressure and lower temperature.

Net revenue interest. An interest in a revenue stream net of all other interests burdening that stream, such as a lessor’s royalty and any overriding royalties. For example, if a lessor executes a lease with a one-eighth royalty, the lessor’s net revenue interest is 12.5 percent and the lessee’s net revenue interest is 87.5 percent.

Pay. Reservoir rock containing crude oil or natural gas.

Play. A geographic area with hydrocarbon potential.

Possible reserves. Possible reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than probable reserves.

Reasonable certainty. If deterministic methods are used, reasonable certainty means a high degree of confidence that the quantities will be recovered. If probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 90% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the estimate. A high degree of confidence exists if the quantity is much more likely to be achieved than not, and, as changes due to increased availability of geoscience (geological, geophysical and geochemical), engineering and economic data are made to estimated ultimate recovery with time, reasonably certain estimated ultimate recovery is much more likely to increase or remain constant than to decrease.

Reserve life. A measure of the productive life of an oil and gas property or a group of properties, expressed in years. Reserve life is calculated by dividing proved reserve volumes at year end by production volumes. In our calculation of reserve life, production volumes are based on annualized fourth-quarter production and are adjusted, if necessary, to reflect property acquisitions and dispositions.

Reservoir. A porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of producible oil and/or gas that is confined by impermeable rock or water barriers and is individual and separate from other reservoirs.

Resources. Resources are quantities of oil and gas estimated to exist in naturally occurring accumulations. A portion of the resources may be estimated to be recoverable, and another portion may be considered to be unrecoverable. Resources include both discovered and undiscovered accumulations.

Royalty interest. An interest in an oil and gas lease that gives the owner of the interest the right to receive a portion of the production from the leased acreage (or of the proceeds of the sale thereof), but generally does not require the owner to pay any portion of the costs of drilling or operating the wells on the leased acreage. Royalties may be either landowner’s royalties, which are reserved by the owner of the leased acreage at the time the lease is granted, or overriding royalties, which are usually reserved by an owner of the leasehold in connection with a transfer to a subsequent owner.

Sands. Sandstone or other sedimentary rocks.

Shale. A fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals.

Standardized measure. The present value, discounted at 10 percent per year, of estimated future net revenues from the production of proved reserves, computed by applying sales prices used in estimating proved oil and natural gas reserves to the year-end quantities of those reserves in effect as of the dates of such estimates and held constant throughout the productive life of the reserves (except for consideration of future price changes to the extent provided by contractual arrangements in existence at year-end), and deducting the estimated future costs to be incurred in developing, producing and abandoning the proved reserves (computed based on year-end costs and assuming continuation of existing economic conditions). Future income taxes are calculated by applying the appropriate year-end statutory federal and state income tax rates, with consideration of future tax rates already legislated, to pre-tax future net cash flows, net of the tax basis of the properties involved and utilization of available tax carryforwards related to proved oil and natural gas reserves.

Undeveloped acreage. Lease acreage on which wells have not been drilled or completed to a point that would permit the production of economic quantities of oil or gas regardless of whether the acreage contains proved reserves.

Undeveloped oil and gas reserves. Undeveloped oil and natural gas reserves are reserves of any category that are expected to be recovered from new wells on undrilled acreage, or from existing wells where a relatively major expenditure is required for recompletion. Reserves on undrilled acreage shall be limited to those directly offsetting development spacing areas that are reasonably certain of production when drilled, unless evidence using reliable technology exists that establishes reasonable certainty of economic producibility at greater distances. Undrilled locations can be classified as having undeveloped reserves only if a development plan has been adopted indicating that they are scheduled to be drilled within five years, unless the specific circumstances justify a longer time. Under no circumstances shall estimates for undeveloped reserves be attributable to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been proved effective by actual projects in the same reservoir or an analogous reservoir, or by other evidence using reliable technology establishing reasonable certainty.

Working interest. An interest in an oil and gas lease that gives the owner of the interest the right to drill for and produce oil and gas on the leased acreage and requires the owner to pay a share of the costs of drilling and production operations.

For additional information regarding the definitions contained in this Glossary, or for other oil and gas definitions, refer to Rule 4-10 of Regulation S-X.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on February 27, 2015.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

By:/s/ Richard C. Adkerson

Richard C. Adkerson

Vice Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the registrant in the capacities indicated on February 27, 2015.

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FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Our financial statements and the notes thereto, and the report of Ernst & Young LLP included in our 2014 annual report are incorporated herein by reference.

Schedules other than the one listed above have been omitted since they are either not required, not applicable or the required information is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS OF

FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

We have audited the consolidated financial statements of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (formerly Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.) as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014,and have issued our report thereon dated February 27, 2015 (included elsewhere in this Form 10-K). Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index to Financial Statements of this Form 10-K. This schedule is the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this schedule based on our audits.

In our opinion, the financial statement schedule referred to above, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Phoenix, Arizona

February 27, 2015

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FREEPORT-McMoRan INC.

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(In millions)

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Note: Certain instruments with respect to long-term debt of FCX have not been filed as exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K since the total amount of securities authorized under any such instrument does not exceed 10 percent of the total assets of FCX and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. FCX agrees to furnish a copy of each such instrument upon request of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

• Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

Pursuant to a request for confidential treatment, portions of this exhibit have been redacted from the publicly filed document and have been furnished separately to the SEC.

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