Colonial Pipeline on Thursday reported “substantial progress” in restarting its pipeline, which stretches from Texas to New Jersey.
“We can now report that we have restarted our entire pipeline system and that product delivery has commenced to all markets we serve,” the Georgia-based company said in a statement just before 5 p.m. ET.
The system runs some 5,500 miles from Houston to Linden.
Markets reliant upon the fuel it delivers are scattered across 11 states, with spurs hitting major cities like Charlotte, Nashville, and Baltimore.
Cyberhackers attacked Colonial last week, prompting the company to shut down certain parts of its network. That led to the entire pipeline being taken offline.
Since the company disclosed what happened, shortages have soared and gas prices have risen, breaching $3 for the first time since 2014.
As of midday, 50 percent of more stations were out of gas in Washington, Virginia, and North Carolina, with a hefty number of stations in Georgia, Florida, Maryland, and Tennessee unable to service customers, according to GasBuddy.
The average price per gallon ticked up to $3.02 on Thursday, American Automobile Association data showed. That was up from $2.94 a week ago and $2.86 a month ago.
“The restart of the pipeline is very positive news for motorists,” Jeanette McGee, a spokesperson for the association, said in a statement. “While impact won’t be seen immediately and motorists in affected areas can expect to see a few more days of limited fuel supply, relief is coming. Station pumps will be full of fuel in several days.”
Colonial initiated the restart on Wednesday night.
