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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Narrative) (Details)
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3 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | |||||||||
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Mar. 31, 2013
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Mar. 31, 2013
Empire [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Black Label And Black Thor Chromite Deposits [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Big Daddy Chromite Deposit [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
CLCC [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Wabush [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Bloom Lake [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member]
Cockatoo [Member]
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2012
Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member]
Cockatoo [Member]
AUD
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Mar. 31, 2013
Equity Method Investments [Member]
Amapa [Member]
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Mar. 31, 2013
Other Liabilities [Member]
Cockatoo [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2012
Sonoma [Member]
Asia Pacific Coal [Member]
AUD
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Jul. 10, 2012
Sonoma [Member]
Asia Pacific Coal [Member]
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| Related Party Transaction [Line Items] | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Current Fiscal Year End Date | --12-31 | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Ownership Interest | Ìý | 79.00% | 100.00% | 70.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 75.00% | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | 45.00% |
| Ownership interest, equity method investment | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | 30.00% | 50.00% | Ìý | Ìý |
| Total percentage of Amapa sold | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | 100.00% | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| Proceeds from sale of economic interest (in AUD) | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | 4.00 | Ìý | Ìý | 141,000,000 | Ìý |
| Estimated rehabilitation costs | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | $ 24,000,000 | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Estimated rehabilitation costs associated with divestiture No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee. No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Total percentage of Amapa sold No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
End date of current fiscal year in the format --MM-DD. No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The cash inflow from the sale of an investment interest in a joint venture that the reporting entity has not previously accounted for using consolidation or the equity method of accounting. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Details
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