As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 8, 2018

Registration No. 333-                

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

333 North Central Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85004-2189

(602) 366-8100

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Douglas N. Currault II

Deputy General Counsel and Secretary

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

333 North Central Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85004-2189

(602) 366-8100

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copy to:

Monique A. Cenac

Jones Walker LLP

333 North Central Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85004-2189

(602) 366-7604

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☒

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  ☐

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.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of Securities Act.   ☐

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE⁽¹⁾

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. is filing this registration statement to replace its registration statement (No. 333-206257), which is expiring pursuant to Rule 415(a)(5). In accordance with Rule 415(a)(6), effectiveness of this registration statement will be deemed to terminate the expiring registration statement.

Prospectus

Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

Common stock, Preferred stock, Debt securities, Warrants,

Purchase contracts and Units

We may offer and sell from time to time common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions and other factors at the time of our offerings. We may offer and sell these securities through agents, through underwriters or dealers or directly to one or more purchasers, including existing stockholders. In addition, certain selling securityholders to be identified in a prospectus supplement may offer and sell these securities from time to time, in amounts, at prices and on terms that will be determined at the time the securities are offered. We urge you to read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement, together with the documents we incorporate by reference, which will describe the specific terms of these securities, carefully before you make your investment decision.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “FCX.”

You should read carefully this prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement before you invest. Investing in these securities involves certain risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 1 of this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement and the risks factors that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

This prospectus may not be used to sell securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

The date of this prospectus is August 8, 2018.

You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we have incorporated by reference. We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we do not take responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. You should assume that the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is only accurate as of the respective dates of such documents. All references to “FCX,” “we,” “us,” “our” and “ours” in this prospectus mean Freeport-McMoRan Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

Table of Contents

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

This prospectus contains summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.” We have filed or incorporated by reference exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should read the exhibits carefully for provisions that may be important to you.

RISK FACTORS

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. Before you invest in our securities you should carefully consider those risk factors described under, but not limited to, the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any subsequently filed Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than, in each case, information furnished rather than filed), which are incorporated by reference herein, and those risk factors that may be included in any applicable prospectus supplement, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference, in evaluating an investment in our securities. If any of these risks were actually to occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations and financial condition. Please read “Information Concerning Forward-Looking Statements.”

FREEPORT-MCMORAN INC.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc., or FCX, is a leading international mining company with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. We operate large, long-lived, geographically diverse assets with significant proven and probable reserves of copper, gold and molybdenum. We are the world’s largest publicly traded copper producer. Our portfolio of assets includes the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia, one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits; and significant mining operations in the Americas, including the large-scale Morenci minerals district in North America and the Cerro Verde operation in South America.

FCX’s principal executive offices are located at 333 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2189, and our telephone number at that address is (602) 366-8100. We maintain a website at www.fcx.com, where general information about us is available. Information on our website is not part of, and we are not incorporating the contents of our website into, this prospectus or any prospectus supplement.

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Recent Developments

Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash. In November 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a new Accounting Standards Update (ASU) that changes the classification and presentation of restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. The ASU requires that a statement of cash flows include the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. FCX adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2018, and adjusted its consolidated statements of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, to include restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents. FCX will be required to recast its consolidated statements of cash flows for all prior years presented in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The impact of adopting this ASU for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, follows (in millions):

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Net Periodic Pension and Postretirement Benefit Cost. In March 2017, FASB issued an ASU that changes how entities with defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans present net periodic benefit cost in the income statement. This ASU requires the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost to be presented in the same income statement line item or items as other compensation costs for those employees who are receiving the benefit. In addition, only the service cost component is eligible for capitalization when applicable (i.e., as a cost of inventory or an internally constructed asset). The other components of net periodic benefit cost are required to be presented separately from the service cost component and outside of operating income. These other components of net periodic benefit cost are not eligible for capitalization, and FCX elected to include these other components in other income (expense), net. FCX adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2018, and adjusted its presentation in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, to conform with the new guidance. FCX will be required to recast its consolidated statements of operations for all prior years presented in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. The impact of adopting this ASU for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, follows (in millions):

Assets Held for Sale. FCX is continuing to assess opportunities for its Kisanfu copper and cobalt exploration project, located in the Democratic of Republic Congo, including development of the project on its own or a sale of all or a minority stake in the project. As management no longer believes that it is probable a sale will occur within the next 12 months, the related assets and liabilities are no longer classified as held for sale. The primary revisions to the consolidated balance sheets were an increase to property, plant, equipment and mine development costs, net of $90 million as of March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017, and an increase of $77 million as of December 31, 2016, with offsetting reductions in current assets held for sale, and an increase to deferred income taxes of $27 million as of each date, with offsetting reductions in current liabilities held for sale.

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FCX did not recast the audited consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference from our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, into this registration statement to reflect the changes resulting from the retrospective impact of the recent adoption of the accounting standards and reclassification described above, nor the unaudited consolidated financial statements for the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, to reflect the reclassification described above, because the impacts were not material.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be used for general corporate purposes. This may include, among other things, working capital, financing of capital expenditures and acquisitions, repayment or refinancing of existing indebtedness or other corporate obligations and other business opportunities; however, we do not currently have any specific planned uses of net proceeds. Any specific allocation of the net proceeds of an offering of securities to a specific purpose will be determined at the time of the offering and will be described in an accompanying prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, in the case of a sale by a selling securityholder, we will not receive any of the proceeds from such sale.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated.

For purposes of computing the consolidated ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist of income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in affiliated companies’ net earnings (losses). Noncontrolling interests were not deducted from earnings as all such subsidiaries had fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of interest (including capitalized interest) of all indebtedness; amortization of debt discounts, premiums and expenses; the portion of rental expense that we believe to be representative of interest; and preferred stock dividends of a consolidated subsidiary. The ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends is the same as the ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods presented because no shares of preferred stock were outstanding during these periods.

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

This prospectus contains a summary of the securities that we or certain selling securityholders to be identified in a prospectus supplement may sell. These summaries are not meant to be a complete description of each security. However, this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement contain the material terms of the securities being offered. The terms of the securities offering, including the initial offering price and the net proceeds to us, will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, or in other filings we make with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which are incorporated by reference.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

For a complete statement of the terms and rights of our capital stock, you should refer to the applicable provisions of our certificate of incorporation, by-laws and the documents that we have incorporated by reference, including the description of capital stock contained in the registration statement on Form 8-A, as amended, copies of which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and which are incorporated herein by reference. Copies of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws will be sent to you at no charge upon request. See “Where You Can Find More Information” below.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The debt securities will be our direct unsecured general obligations. The debt securities will be either senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures between us and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. Senior debt securities will be issued under a senior indenture. Subordinated debt securities will be issued under a subordinated indenture. Each of the senior indenture and the subordinated indenture is referred to as an indenture. The material terms of any indenture will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of:

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Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities, currencies or commodities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may, however, satisfy our obligations, if any, with respect to any purchase contract by delivering the cash value of such purchase contract or the cash value of the property otherwise deliverable or, in the case of purchase contracts on underlying currencies, by delivering the underlying currencies, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities, currencies or commodities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.

The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, which payments may be deferred to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and those payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require the holders thereof to secure their obligations in a specified manner to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Alternatively, purchase contracts may require holders to satisfy their obligations thereunder when the purchase contracts are issued. Our obligation to settle such pre-paid purchase contracts on the relevant settlement date may constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, pre-paid purchase contracts will be issued under either the senior indenture or the subordinated indenture.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more purchase contracts, warrants, debt securities, shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock or any combination of such securities.

FORMS OF SECURITIES

Each debt security, warrant and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

Registered Global Securities

We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.

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If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of FCX, the trustees, the warrant agents, the unit agents or any other agent of FCX, agent of the trustees or agent of the warrant agents or unit agents will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

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If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a global security and will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for such global security pursuant to the procedure described above.

SELLING SECURITYHOLDERS

Selling securityholders are persons or entities that, directly or indirectly, have acquired or will from time to time acquire from us, securities in various private transactions. Such selling securityholders may be parties to registration rights agreements with us, or we otherwise may have agreed or will agree to register their securities for resale. The initial purchasers of our securities, as well as their transferees, pledges, donees or successors, all of whom we refer to as “selling securityholders,” may from time to time offer and sell the securities pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.

The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth the name of each of the selling securityholders and the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by such selling securityholder that are covered by such prospectus supplement.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

FCX and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, may sell the securities in one or more of the following ways (or in any combination) from time to time:

The prospectus supplement will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

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If we and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, use underwriters in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions, including:

Unless otherwise stated in a prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase any securities will be conditioned on customary closing conditions and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of such series of securities, if any are purchased.

We and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, may sell the securities through agents from time to time. The prospectus supplement will name any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities and any commissions we pay to them. Generally, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

We and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from FCX at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. The contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of these contracts.

Underwriters and agents may be entitled under agreements entered into with FCX and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, to indemnification by FCX and/or the selling securityholders, if applicable, against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or to contribution with respect to payments which the underwriters or agents may be required to make. Underwriters and agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for FCX and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

Each series of securities will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market other than the common stock, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Any underwriters to whom securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in the securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. The securities, other than the common stock, may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and our website at www.fcx.com. Information on our website is not a part of, and we are not incorporating the contents of our website into, this prospectus. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference room.

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We are “incorporating by reference” into this prospectus specific documents that we filed with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents that are considered part of this prospectus. Information that we file subsequently with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below, and any future documents that we file (other than information in the documents or filings that is deemed to have been furnished and not filed) with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, until the termination of the offerings of all of the securities covered by this prospectus. This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed with the SEC.

We are “incorporating by reference” into this prospectus the following documents:

We will provide, upon written or oral request and without charge, a copy of the documents referred to above that we have incorporated by reference. You can request copies of such documents if you call or write us at the following address or telephone number: Freeport-McMoRan Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, 333 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-2189, (602) 366-8100.

This prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein, contains summaries of certain agreements that we have filed as exhibits to various SEC filings, as well as certain agreements that we will enter into in connection with the offering of securities covered by this prospectus. The descriptions of these agreements contained in this prospectus or information incorporated by reference herein do not purport to be complete and are subject to, or qualified in their entirety by reference to, the definitive agreements. Copies of the definitive agreements will be made available without charge to you by making a written or oral request to us.

We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to give you any other information, and we do not take responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. If you are in a jurisdiction where offers to sell, or solicitations of offers to purchase, the securities offered by this document are unlawful, or if you are a person to whom it is unlawful to direct these types of activities, then the offer presented in this document does not extend to you. You should assume that the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is only accurate as of the respective dates of such documents.

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Any statement contained herein or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained herein, in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified and superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

INFORMATION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein, contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Such forward-looking information is intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be made directly in this prospectus or may be incorporated in this prospectus by reference to other documents. Representatives of FCX may also make forward-looking statements. 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, operating cash flows, capital expenditures, the transaction contemplated by the non-binding Heads of Agreement between FCX, PT Freeport Indonesia (“PT-FI”), PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero) (“Inalum”), and Rio Tinto, exploration efforts and results, development and production activities and costs, liquidity, tax rates, the impact of copper, gold and molybdenum price changes, the impact of deferred intercompany profits on earnings, reserve estimates, future dividend payments, and share purchases and sales. The words “anticipates,” “may,” “can,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “targets,” “intends,” “likely,” “will,” “should,” “to be,” “potential” and any similar expressions are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend on our financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors. This prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein, may also include forward-looking statements regarding mineralized material not included in proven and probable mineral reserves. Mineralized material is a mineralized body that has been delineated by appropriately spaced drilling and/or underground sampling to support the estimated tonnage and average metal grades. Such a deposit cannot qualify as recoverable proven and probable reserves until legal and economic feasibility are confirmed based upon a comprehensive evaluation of development costs, unit costs, grades, recoveries and other material factors. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that the estimated mineralized material not included in reserves will become proven and probable reserves.

We caution readers that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and 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 supply of and demand for, and prices of, copper, gold and molybdenum; mine sequencing; production rates; potential inventory adjustments; potential impairment of long-lived mining assets; FCX’s ability to complete the transaction contemplated by the non-binding Heads of Agreement, which is subject to the negotiation and documentation of definitive agreements, including purchase and sale agreements, the extension and stability of PT-FI’s long-term mining rights through 2041 in a form acceptable to FCX and Inalum, a shareholders’ agreement between FCX and Inalum providing for continuity of FCX’s management of PT-FI’s operations and addressing governance arrangements, and resolution of administrative sanctions and environmental regulatory matters pending before Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry satisfactory to the Indonesian government, FCX and Inalum, the terms of all of which will be subject to FCX Board approval; PT-FI’s ability to obtain an extension of its temporary IUPK after August 31, 2018; the potential effects of violence in Indonesia generally and in the province of Papua; industry risks; regulatory changes; political risks; labor relations; weather- and climate-related risks; environmental risks (including resolution of the administrative sanctions and other environmental matters pending before Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry); litigation results (including the final disposition of Indonesian tax disputes and the outcome of Cerro Verde’s royalty dispute with the Peruvian national tax authority); and other factors described in more detail in Part I,

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Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as updated by our subsequent filings with the SEC.

Investors are cautioned that many of the assumptions upon which our forward-looking statements are based are likely to change after the forward-looking statements are made, including for example commodity prices, which we cannot control, and production volumes and costs, some aspects of which we may not be able to control. Further, we may make changes to our business plans that could affect our results. We caution investors that we do not intend to update forward-looking statements more frequently than quarterly notwithstanding any changes in our assumptions, changes in business plans, actual experience or other changes, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

LEGAL MATTERS

In connection with particular offerings of securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplements, the validity of those securities will be passed on for us by Jones Walker LLP, and for any underwriters or agents, by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of FCX appearing in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (including the financial statement schedule appearing therein), and the effectiveness of FCX’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements and FCX management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017, are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

With respect to the unaudited consolidated interim financial information of FCX for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, and for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, incorporated by reference in this prospectus, Ernst & Young LLP reported that they have applied limited procedures in accordance with professional standards for a review of such information. However, their separate reports dated May 4, 2018, and August 8, 2018, included in FCX’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2018, and June 30, 2018, respectively, and incorporated by reference herein, states that they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their report on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. Ernst & Young LLP is not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act for their report on the unaudited interim financial information because that report is not a “report” or a “part” of the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, prepared or certified by Ernst & Young LLP within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Securities Act.

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Part II

Information not required in prospectus

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses to be borne by the Registrant in connection with the offerings described in this registration statement.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit indemnification for liabilities (including reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, the FCX certificate of incorporation includes a provision that eliminates the personal liability of FCX’s directors for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (1) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to FCX or its stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (3) under section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law or (4) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. As a result of this provision, FCX’s ability or that of FCX’s stockholders to successfully prosecute an action against a director for breach of his or her duty of care is limited. However, this provision does not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as an injunction or rescission based upon a director’s breach of his or her duty of care.

In addition, the FCX certificate of incorporation and bylaws provides for mandatory indemnification rights, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to any director or officer who (because of the fact that he or she is or was FCX’s director or officer) is involved in a legal proceeding of any nature. These indemnification rights include reimbursement for expenses incurred by FCX’s director or officer in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding according to applicable law.

The indemnification provisions in the FCX certificate of incorporation and bylaws may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of FCX’s directors and officers for liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

FCX also provides insurance from commercial carriers against some liabilities incurred by FCX’s directors and officers.

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Item 16. Exhibits

The following is a list of all exhibits filed as a part of this registration statement on Form S-3, including those incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 17. Undertakings

(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made of securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided , however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement

(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is

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part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (“Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Phoenix, State of Arizona, on August 8, 2018.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Richard C. Adkerson and Kathleen L. Quirk, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power to act separately and full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or either of them or his or her or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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