Guarantor Subsidiaries Income Statement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	$ 1,160,114	$ 1,084,041	$ 3,512,055	$ 3,584,805
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	15,506	12,968	46,738	34,707
Sales-Purchased Gas	1,608	953	4,372	2,443
Freight-Outside	11,563	27,430	35,749	126,195
Other Income (including equity earnings)	42,627	34,697	138,824	293,196
Total Revenue and Other Income	1,231,418	1,160,089	3,737,738	4,041,346
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	851,088	827,530	2,639,929	2,588,460
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	12,864	10,543	38,204	27,916
Purchased Gas Costs	941	737	2,961	2,123
Related Party Activity	0	0	0	0
Freight Expense	11,563	27,430	35,749	126,195
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	33,472	36,681	104,265	109,412
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	169,152	153,877	489,774	463,048
Interest Expense	56,301	54,075	164,197	168,788
Taxes Other Than Income	85,463	80,587	251,575	256,543
Total Costs	1,220,844	1,191,460	3,726,654	3,742,485
Earnings Before Income Taxes	10,574	(31,371)	11,084	298,861
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	74,623	(19,898)	89,767	60,428
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	398	105	942	134
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	(63,651)	(11,368)	(77,741)	238,567
Net Income (Loss)	(64,049)	(11,473)	(78,683)	238,433
Parent Issuer [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	0	0	0	0
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	0	0	0	0
Sales-Purchased Gas	0	0	0	0
Freight-Outside	0	0	0	0
Other Income (including equity earnings)	78,203	(17,948)	354,386	399,817
Total Revenue and Other Income	78,203	(17,948)	354,386	399,817
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	37,591	18,699	117,830	90,230
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	0	0	0	0
Purchased Gas Costs	0	0	0	0
Related Party Activity	9,710	8,575	32,385	1,575
Freight Expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	3,288	3,085	9,735	8,901
Interest Expense	52,165	50,811	153,141	158,505
Taxes Other Than Income	165	(504)	430	159
Total Costs	102,919	80,666	313,521	259,370
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(24,716)	(98,614)	40,865	140,447
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	38,935	(87,246)	118,606	(98,120)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	(63,651)	(11,368)	(77,741)	238,567
Net Income (Loss)	(63,651)	(11,368)	(77,741)	238,567
CNX Gas Guarantor [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	193,381	165,448	534,221	474,574
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	15,506	12,968	46,738	34,707
Sales-Purchased Gas	1,608	953	4,372	2,443
Freight-Outside	0	0	0	0
Other Income (including equity earnings)	12,596	11,772	37,055	46,177
Total Revenue and Other Income	223,091	191,141	622,386	557,901
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	128,402	96,619	359,397	296,959
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	12,874	10,565	38,235	27,951
Purchased Gas Costs	941	737	2,961	2,123
Related Party Activity	0	0	0	0
Freight Expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	11,600	9,906	33,429	29,199
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	58,444	52,214	163,079	148,343
Interest Expense	2,578	1,145	6,375	3,554
Taxes Other Than Income	9,847	8,426	25,534	24,790
Total Costs	224,686	179,612	629,010	532,919
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(1,595)	11,529	(6,624)	24,982
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(602)	4,433	(2,557)	9,706
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	398	105	942	134
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	(595)	7,201	(3,125)	15,410
Net Income (Loss)	(993)	7,096	(4,067)	15,276
Other Guarantors Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	911,732	861,009	2,813,430	2,919,814
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	0	0	0	0
Sales-Purchased Gas	0	0	0	0
Freight-Outside	11,563	27,430	35,749	126,195
Other Income (including equity earnings)	25,103	170,877	86,064	230,930
Total Revenue and Other Income	948,398	1,059,316	2,935,243	3,276,939
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	620,652	647,158	1,971,483	1,992,371
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	0	0	0	0
Purchased Gas Costs	0	0	0	0
Related Party Activity	(29,271)	(18,962)	(87,620)	5,078
Freight Expense	11,563	27,430	35,749	126,195
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	21,582	26,412	69,887	79,169
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	106,910	98,060	315,468	304,245
Interest Expense	1,548	2,267	4,871	7,056
Taxes Other Than Income	74,730	71,985	223,254	229,381
Total Costs	807,714	854,350	2,533,092	2,743,495
Earnings Before Income Taxes	140,684	204,966	402,151	533,444
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	37,143	61,424	(22,740)	143,001
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	103,541	143,542	424,891	390,443
Net Income (Loss)	103,541	143,542	424,891	390,443
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	54,174	58,405	161,837	192,212
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	0	0	0	0
Sales-Purchased Gas	0	0	0	0
Freight-Outside	0	0	0	0
Other Income (including equity earnings)	4,928	4,917	15,705	16,089
Total Revenue and Other Income	59,102	63,322	177,542	208,301
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	54,857	57,408	162,050	186,635
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	0	0	0	0
Purchased Gas Costs	0	0	0	0
Related Party Activity	458	427	1,298	1,376
Freight Expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	290	363	949	1,044
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	510	518	1,492	1,559
Interest Expense	13	11	34	33
Taxes Other Than Income	721	680	2,357	2,213
Total Costs	56,849	59,407	168,180	192,860
Earnings Before Income Taxes	2,253	3,915	9,362	15,441
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	(853)	1,491	(3,542)	5,841
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	3,106	2,424	12,904	9,600
Net Income (Loss)	3,106	2,424	12,904	9,600
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations [Line Items]
Sales-Outside	827	(821)	2,567	(1,795)
Sales-Gas Royalty Interests	0	0	0	0
Sales-Purchased Gas	0	0	0	0
Freight-Outside	0	0	0	0
Other Income (including equity earnings)	(78,203)	(134,921)	(354,386)	(399,817)
Total Revenue and Other Income	(77,376)	(135,742)	(351,819)	(401,612)
Cost of Goods Sold and Other Operating Charges (exclusive of depreciation, depletion and amortization shown below)	9,586	7,646	29,169	22,265
Gas Royalty Interests Costs	(10)	(22)	(31)	(35)
Purchased Gas Costs	0	0	0	0
Related Party Activity	19,103	9,960	53,937	(8,029)
Freight Expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization	0	0	0	0
Interest Expense	(3)	(159)	(224)	(360)
Taxes Other Than Income	0	0	0	0
Total Costs	28,676	17,425	82,851	13,841
Earnings Before Income Taxes	(106,052)	(153,167)	(434,670)	(415,453)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0	0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	(106,052)	(153,167)	(434,670)	(415,453)
Net Income (Loss)	$ (106,052)	$ (153,167)	$ (434,670)	$ (415,453)