Other Employee Benefits MultiEmployer Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 30, 2011
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 46,076	$ 45,550	$ 32,723
Share-based Compensation	48,842,000	47,593,000	39,032,000
1974 Pension Trust [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions	36,209	31,591	25,620
Defined Benefit Plan, Estimated Future Employer Contributions in Next Fiscal Year, Description	36379
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets				5,077,338
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation				6,618,702
Defined Benefit Plan, Pension Plans with Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Plan Assets, Aggregate Accumulated Benefit Obligation				4,288,252
Multiemployer Plan, Withdrawal Obligation	1,196,946
Non-Pension Multiemployer Plans [Domain]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount	67,349	67,768	61,734
Retiree Health Benefit Act of 1992 [Domain]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions	13,609	19,904	22,646
Multiemployer Plan, Withdrawal Obligation	183,651
UMWA 1993 Benefit Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Multiemployer Plan, Period Contributions	3,824	9,086	8,968
401k Defined Contribution [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Defined Contribution Plan, Cost Recognized	30,532	27,221	24,353
CNX Gas Long Term Incentive Comp [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense			1,000
Share-based Compensation			2,738
CNX Gas Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$ 2,766	$ 2,043	$ 6,311