NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A diesel fuel leak in Virginia shut down part of the Colonial Pipeline, the nation’s largest fuel pipeline, which supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, but it is expected to restart Saturday, the company said.
The spill was discovered Tuesday. And while this particular line is shut down, the rest of the system is operating normally, spokesperson David Conti said in an email.
The incident shouldn’t have much impact on gas prices, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
“The key being shouldn’t,” he said. “Obviously the Colonial is a key artery supplying refined products up the East Coast … It could be nothing. And it could turn into something” if regular operations fail to resume quickly.
One bright spot is that fuel demand has dipped following the holidays, while a fair amount of people are still working from home, De Haan said. Gasoline demand is about 10% less than what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.