Colonial Pipeline has restarted operations after a cyberattack that led to gas shortages across much of the South, the company said Wednesday afternoon.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm first announced Colonial’s plans after speaking with the company’s CEO.
Minutes later, Colonial confirmed it “initiated the restart” at 5 p.m. ET. However, the company warned it will take several days for deliveries of transportation fuels to return to normal.
Some markets served by Colonial Pipeline may experience “intermittent service interruptions” during that time period.
Colonial had shut down the pipeline Friday night as it investigated the nature of the attack, causing gasoline shortages in the Southeast as drivers stocked up on fuel and increased prices at the pump.
The Colonial Pipeline is a 5,500-mile artery from Houston to the doorstep of New York City responsible for nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supply, including gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel.
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Colonial is restarting the pipeline without paying a ransom to the perpetrator of the attack, the Washington Post reported. An organized crime group called DarkSide, breached Colonial’s computer networks in the most significant, successful cyberassault ever on energy infrastructure in the United States.
