Guarantor Subsidiaries, Condensed Statement of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		$ 0	$ (41,246)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		850,171	588,999
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		871,105	450,970
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		(1,174,607)	(1,021,127)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		(924,939)	(559,437)
Payments of Dividends		(43,119)	(57,211)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		(20,934)	138,029
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	2,698	13,403	2,698
Treasury Stock Activity	609	0	609
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		(11,736)	47,000
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		108,532	(18,112)
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		141,136	464,638
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities	(30,360)	(27,089)	(30,360)
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation	2,316	2,478	2,316
Repayments of Secured Debt	6,518
Repayments of Other Debt	(31,858)	(4,169)	(31,858)
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		1,859,920	0
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		(1,843,866)	0
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash		0	56,410
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		(924,939)	(518,191)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations	(29,928)	(27,089)	(29,928)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations	(432)	0	(432)
Parent Issuer [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		(87,081)	(7,909)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		(87,081)	(7,909)
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		(2,314)	(15,216)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		(18,255)	(15,216)
Payments of Dividends			42,789
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	2,698	13,403
Treasury Stock Activity	609
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		(11,736)	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		(15,941)	0
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities	21,821
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation	2,316	2,478
Repayments of Secured Debt	0
Repayments of Other Debt	26,591	662
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		1,859,920
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		1,843,866
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		(18,255)	(15,216)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations	21,821
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations	0
CNX Gas Guarantor [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		512,135	383,504
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		512,135	383,504
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		(852,097)	(669,067)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		(714,455)	(364,425)
Payments of Dividends		0	(100,000)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock		0	0
Treasury Stock Activity			0
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		233,663	85,500
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		79,723	(30,500)
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		57,919	335,142
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities		229,203	(18,584)
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation		0	0
Repayments of Secured Debt	0
Repayments of Other Debt		0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		0
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		0
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities		(4,460)	(4,084)
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		(714,455)	(364,425)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations		229,203	(18,584)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Other Guarantors Subsidiaries [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		191,233	139,014
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		191,233	139,014
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		(320,196)	(336,844)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		(192,242)	(138,567)
Payments of Dividends			0
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0	0
Treasury Stock Activity	0
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		28,809	12,388
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		99,145	129,479
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities	(606)
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation	0	0
Repayments of Secured Debt	0
Repayments of Other Debt	4,690	3,451
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		0
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		0
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities	4,084
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			(56,410)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		(192,242)	(138,567)
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations	(606)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations	0
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	(41,246)
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		221	35,890
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		21,155	(102,139)
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		13	(41,229)
Payments of Dividends			0
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		(20,934)	138,029
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0	0
Treasury Stock Activity	0
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		0	0
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		13	17
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities	5,509
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation	0	0
Repayments of Secured Debt	6,518
Repayments of Other Debt	577	56
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		0
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		0
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		13	17
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations	5,941
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations	(432)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Schedule of Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows [Line Items]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities		233,663	38,500
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Continuing Operations		233,663	38,500
Investing Activities:
Capital Expenditures		0	0
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities		0
Payments of Dividends			0
Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Discontinued Operations		0	0
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock	0	0
Treasury Stock Activity	0
(Payments on) Proceeds from Short-Term Borrowings		(233,663)	(38,500)
Payments for (Proceeds from) Businesses and Interest in Affiliates		0	0
Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets		0	0
Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Financing Activities	(38,500)
Tax Benefit from Stock-Based Compensation	0	0
Repayments of Secured Debt	0
Repayments of Other Debt	0	0
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt		0
Proceeds from Long-Term Borrowings		0
Proceeds from (Payments for) Other Financing Activities	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash			0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities, Continuing Operations		0	0
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Continuing Operations	(38,500)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Discontinued Operations	$ 0