The partial shutdown of a major pipeline has disrupted gas supplies to America’s south-east states, pushing prices up in the region, a new report said.
Line 1 of the Colonial Pipeline system was closed earlier this month after a leak was detected 35 miles south of Birmingham, Alabama.
On September 19, the average retail price of regular gasoline increased eight cents week-on-week to $2.17 per gallon in the region, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Work to fix the leak and restore flow to the pipeline has been on-going since then and could be completed today.
But because gas moves along pipelines at about five miles per hour, some markets are likely to be subject to shortfalls for several more days.
Colonial is a vital supply line for states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and parts of eastern Tennessee.
The system stretches about 5,500 miles, from as far west as Houston, to New York in the North, and transports 2.5 million barrels per day.
Line 1 carries about 1.4 million barrels a day from the Gulf Coast to a major junction and product storage hub in Greensboro, North Carolina.