Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

Income taxes (benefits) provided on earnings consisted of:



	For The Years Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Current:
U.S Federal	$	173,912		$	82,031		$	134,231
U.S State	34,555			13,652			41,482
Non-U.S	—			(3,425		)	(1,940		)
	208,467			92,258			173,773
Deferred:
U.S. Federal	(35,487		)	8,463			49,672
U.S. State	(17,524		)	8,566			(2,242		)
	(53,011		)	17,029			47,430
Total Income Taxes	$	155,456		$	109,287		$	221,203

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The components of the net deferred tax assets are as follows:



	December 31,
	2011			2010
Deferred Tax Assets:
Postretirement benefits other than pensions	$	1,217,246		$	1,251,641
Salary retirement	103,146			65,309
Mine closing	95,193			144,131
Pneumoconiosis benefits	69,915			71,661
Workers' compensation	65,266			67,025
Net operating loss	57,669			58,428
Alternative minimum tax	54,998			141,758
Mine subsidence	41,453			34,659
Capital lease	24,763			27,918
Reclamation	23,738			31,177
Other	136,211			129,293
Total Deferred Tax Assets	1,889,598			2,023,000
Valuation Allowance**	(41,016		)	(62,668		)
Net Deferred Tax Assets	1,848,582			1,960,332

Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(1,046,235		)	(1,221,362		)
Gas hedge	(98,539		)	(29,209		)
Advance mining royalties	(31,284		)	(31,574		)
Other	(23,717		)	(19,170		)
Total Deferred Tax Liabilities	(1,199,775		)	(1,301,315		)

Net Deferred Tax Assets	$	648,807		$	659,017

**Valuation allowance of ($41,016) has been allocated to long-term deferred tax assets for 2011. Valuation allowances of ($778) and ($61,890) have been allocated between current and long-term deferred tax assets respectively for 2010.

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

The following is a reconciliation stated as a percentage of pretax income, of the United States statutory federal income tax rate to CONSOL Energy's effective tax rate:

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]



	For the Years Ended
	December 31,
	2011			2010
Balance at beginning of period	$	91,349		$	78,811
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken during current period	—			15,998
Increase (decrease) in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken during prior periods	—			(260		)
Reduction in unrecognized tax benefits as a result of the lapse of the applicable statute of limitations	(17,362		)	(3,200		)
Reduction of unrecognized tax benefits as a result of a settlement with taxing authorities	(36,401		)	—
Balance at end of period	$	37,586		$	91,349

If these unrecognized tax benefits were recognized, $3,891 and $16,802 respectively would have affected CONSOL Energy's effective income tax ra

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

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