Colonial Pipeline restarts operations

Gas stations across the Eastern United States were still empty on Thursday. But Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline reported progress in distribution, saying most of its markets are once again receiving delivery. A Friday cyberattack temporarily shut down the pipeline, which supplies nearly half the gasoline consumed on the East Coast. News of the shutdown prompted panic-buying and shortages. Richard Joswick, global head of oil analytics at S&P Global Platts, estimated that full recovery will take a couple weeks due to shipping lags.

Which states were most affected? Almost 70 percent of North Carolina stations and half or more in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia were without gas on Thursday, GasBuddy.com reported. In the nation’s capital, 73 percent were empty. Though the pipeline runs from Texas to New Jersey, the Northeast tends to draw from other supply sources, such as ocean tankers.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read David Bahnsen’s report explaining gas prices.