Document:

Variable Long Term Incentive Compensation Award

 Exhibit 10.96 
 June 20, 2006 
 J. Brett Harvey 
 CONSOL Energy Inc. 
 1800 Washington Road 
 Pittsburgh, PA 15241 
 Re: Variable Long Term Incentive Compensation 
 Dear Brett, 
 On June 20,
2006, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of CONSOL Energy Inc. (the “Company”) approved your right to earn a 2006 variable long term incentive award. The purpose of this letter is to outline the manner in which
you may earn the right to receive the variable portion of your long term incentive compensation. 
 Incentive Compensation -
Subject to the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth herein, you have the right to earn variable long term incentive compensation in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000. The right to receive this compensation shall be conditioned upon the
achievement of certain pre-determined performance goals and the payment thereof shall be in the form of future grants of stock options and restricted stock unit awards (hereinafter the “Equity Award”) as described more fully herein.

 Performance Goals - Your right to receive all or any portion of the Equity Award is conditioned upon you and the Company
achieving certain performance goals determined by the Board in its sole discretion (the “Performance Goals”) for the year ended December 31, 2006 (the “Performance Period”). The Performance Goals determined by
the Board will be assigned certain percentages relative to the Equity Award and the achievement of any particular Performance Goal during the Performance Period shall entitle you to an equivalent pro rata portion of the Equity Award. In the event
that none of the Performance Goals for the Performance Period are achieved, you will not be entitled to receive the Equity Award; provided, however, that the Board may, in its sole discretion, grant all or any portion of the Equity Award if any or
none of the Performance Goals are achieved during the Performance Period. 
 The determination of whether any Performance Goal has been
achieved and any portion of the Equity Award earned thereby shall be made by the Board, which determination shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties. 
 Equity Award - Subject to your continued employment with the Company and to the extent you earn the right to receive all or a portion of the Equity Award, the Company shall grant to you stock options and
restricted stock units (“RSUs”) with a value equal to the portion of the Equity Award earned by you. One-half of the value of the Equity Award earned by you shall be granted in options and the remaining one-half of such value shall
be granted in RSUs. All such options and RSUs shall be granted under the CONSOL Energy Inc. Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (“Plan”), and shall be subject to the terms and conditions, including vesting restrictions, contained in
the Company’s standard Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement and Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement. Options shall be valued using the Black-Scholes option valuation methodology or such other methodology as may be deemed reasonable by the
Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”). The Equity Award, if any, will be granted to you in 2007 at such time and consistent with the Compensation Committee’s established practices for making equity
grants under the Plan. The exercise price of any options and the value of any shares underlying RSUs issued in satisfaction of the Equity Award shall be based on the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the actual date of grant as
provided under the terms of the Plan. 

 If you should have any questions regarding this portion of your compensation package, please contact the
undersigned at your convenience. 
  

	
	 Sincerely,
  
 /s/ John Whitmire
  
 John Whitmire
 Chairman of the Board of Directors of
 CONSOL Energy Inc.Hypothetical Investment Election Form Relating to Directors' Deferred Comp. Plan

 Exhibit 10.97 
 CONSOL ENERGY INC. 
 1999 DIRECTORS DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN 
 HYPOTHETICAL INVESTMENT ELECTION FORM 
 Investment Election: 
 Pursuant to the CONSOL Energy Inc. (the “Company”) Directors Deferred Compensation
Plan (the “Plan”), I hereby elect that the amounts I have deferred under the Plan be deemed to be invested among such hypothetical investments, and in such percentages, as specified on Appendix A attached hereto. 
 Acknowledgments: 
  

	 	•	 	I understand that the amounts I have deferred under the Plan represent an unfunded, unsecured obligation of the Company to pay me benefits in the future in accordance with the terms
of the Plan, and that the elections I have made hereunder are for Plan recordkeeping purposes only and do not represent actual investments. 

  

	 	•	 	I understand that in the event the Company sets aside funds to satisfy its obligations under the Plan, the Company is under no obligation to actually invest such monies in
accordance with the elections I have made hereunder. 

  

	 	•	 	I understand that the earnings credited to the amounts I have deferred under the Plan will be based on the hypothetical investments I have elected, and acknowledge and agree that
neither the Company nor the Administrator (as defined in the Plan) shall act as a guarantor, or be liable or otherwise responsible for the investment performance (including losses) of such hypothetical investments. 

  

	 	•	 	I understand that the Administrator shall establish reasonable procedures for crediting earnings (and losses) under the Plan, and acknowledge and agree that the Administrator has
full authority and discretion to decide all matters relating to the implementation, administration and interpretation of such procedures, which determinations shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all interested parties.

  

	 	•	 	I understand that the investment elections made hereunder will apply to all deferrals that I have made, or will make in the future, under the Plan, and that my investment elections
will remain in effect from year to year unless an until I change such investment elections by filing a new investment election form. 

  

	 	•	 	I understand that if prior approval of my elections (and or receipt or disposition of phantom stock) by the Company’s Compensation Committee and/or Board of Directors is
required for the purposes of securing any exemptions under Rule 16b-3(d) and/or (e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended or otherwise, the elections I have made herein will not be effective until the approval of the
Company’s Compensation Committee and/or Board of Directors has been obtained. The Administrator has full authority and discretion to decide all matters relating to the approval requirements, which determinations shall be final, conclusive, and
binding upon all interested parties. 

 This form must be returned to
                     to be effective on or about the next succeeding January 1st or July 31st. 
  

			
	Signature:	 	  

		
	Printed Name:	 	  

		
	Dated:	 	                                      
                                      , 20
    

 CONSOL ENERGY INC. 
 1999 DIRECTORS DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN 
 APPENDIX A 
 HYPOTHETICAL INVESTMENT ELECTION FORM1 
 Please Check Appropriate Box and Complete as Necessary: 
  

	 ̈	I am making no change to my current elections. All the amounts I have deferred under the Directors Deferred Compensation Plan should continue to be deemed to be invested in
accordance with the current investment elections I have on file with the Plan (See Schedule 1 for a statement of your current elections). 

  

	 ̈	I hereby elect that             % of the amounts I have deferred under the Directors Deferred Compensation Plan be
deemed to be invested entirely in Company common stock and any balance of deferrals will be invested among the hypothetical investments specified on page 2 of this Appendix A.2 

  ̈ In addition, I irrevocably elect to make no intraplan transfers (i.e., change my hypothetical investment elections deemed to be invested entirely in
Company common stock) during the entire deferral period. [Check this box only if you intend never to change your election option related to the hypothetical investments in common stock made in this election form] 
  

	 ̈	I hereby elect that the amounts I have deferred under the Directors Deferred Compensation Plan be deemed to be invested among the hypothetical investments in such percentages as
specified on page 2 of this Appendix A. 

 [Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank] 
  

	1	Any election that is made will have the effect of rebalancing all deferrals made to date, except for those deemed to be in Company common stock which have been
designated as irrevocable by the participant. 

  

	2	Any phantom stock “granted” under a deferral will be treated as though it were the equivalent of a Deferred Stock Unit (as the term is used under CONSOL
Energy Inc. Equity Incentive Plan as amended and restated, effective as of May 3, 2005, as may be amended from time to time) that is settled solely in cash. Such phantom stock will be treated for the purposes of dividends and other matters as a
Deferred Stock Unit. The Administrator has full authority and discretion to decide all matters relating to the implementation, administration and interpretation of the treatment of such phantom stock, which determinations shall be final, conclusive,
and binding upon all interested parties. 

 1999 DIRECTORS DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN 
 APPENDIX A (page 2) 
 HYPOTHETICAL INVESTMENT ELECTION FORM

 Investment Election: 
  

				
	 INVESTMENT
	  	PERCENTAGE (%)	 
	EQUITY/STOCK:	  		
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  	                            	 
		
	BOND/FIXED INCOME:	  		
		
		  	                            	 
		
	CASH EQUIV/STABLE VALUE:	  		
		
		  	                            	 
		
		  		
		  	 	 
		
	                                      
  TOTAL	  	100	%

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