Categories: GlobalLatest

US Fuel Firm Resumes after Long queues, First Fight in Southeast

The operator of the biggest fuel pipeline in the US announced it would resume operations on Wednesday evening after a five-day closure.

A ransomware cyber-attack forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down the main part of its network on Friday.

The 5,500-mile (8,900km) pipeline usually carries 2.5 million barrels a day on the East Coast.

The closure saw supplies tighten across the US, with prices rising and a number of states declaring an emergency.

Fistfights and long queues have been reported at petrol stations in the south-eastern United States as people panic over a fuel shortage sparked by a cyber-attack last week.

Tensions rose as the shutdown of the largest US fuel pipeline network entered its sixth day and Washington officials pledged new steps to alleviate supply issues.

One video posted on social media showed a fistfight between two customers at a station in North Carolina.

A ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline last week halted 2.5 million barrels per day of fuel shipments.

The pipeline stretches 8,850 kilometres from US Gulf Coast oil refineries to consumers in mid-Atlantic and south-eastern states.

Nearly 60 per cent of petrol stations in metro Atlanta were without petrol, tracking firm GasBuddy said.

Its survey showed 65 per cent of stations in North Carolina and 43 per cent in Georgia and South Carolina without fuel. Virginia also reported high outages.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the administration was addressing the fuel shortages and helping restore Colonial operations, including moving gasoline to places that need it.

“Our top priority right now is getting the fuel to the communities that need it, and we will continue doing everything that we can to meet that goal in the coming days,” Buttigieg said.

Colonial Pipeline said it had begun to restart the pipeline network, but it would take several days for the fuel delivery supply chain to return to normal.

The supply crunch sparked panic buying in the US south-east, bringing long lines and high prices at petrol stations ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend at the end of May, the traditional start of the peak summer driving season.

Fuel industry representatives urged consumers to stop panic buying, noting the country had plenty of gasoline supplies and that hoarding was creating shortages in areas not served by the pipeline.

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