Colonial Pipeline shuts major gasoline artery after potential gasoline spill

By Nicole Jao and Shariq Khan

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Colonial Pipeline, the biggest U.S. gas pipeline operator, mentioned on Tuesday that the principle artery transferring gasoline from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the East Coast has been shut since Monday night time on account of a possible spill in Paulding County, Georgia.

Line 1 was quickly shut as operator Colonial Pipeline responds to a possible gasoline launch, an organization spokesperson mentioned. Crews had been on scene in Paulding, Georgia, to coordinate response efforts, they added.

Line 1 strikes round 1.5 million barrels of gasoline every day from Houston, Texas, to storage tanks in Greensboro, North Carolina, from the place it’s distributed regionally or pumped to different Northeastern markets all the way in which to the New York Harbor. It’s certainly one of two mainlines on the greater than 5,500-mile Colonial pipeline system.

U.S. gasoline merchants broadly cited expectations for Line 1 to restart afterward Tuesday night time, reducing the probabilities of a serious disruption in gas provides.

“The timeline sounds on par with a greatest case end result,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation at GasBuddy mentioned, including that it suggests a minor leak and minimal environmental mitigation.

Colonial Pipeline declined to offer a restart timeline.

Gasoline futures rose 0.43 cents to settle at $2.1046 a gallon on Tuesday, bucking weak spot within the broader oil advanced. [O/R]

The U.S. Division of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Supplies Security Administration (PHMSA) didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Paulding County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned there was no notification to 911 relating to a gasoline leak.