What you need to know about the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, gas prices, and shortages

A cyberattack on a main artery in the nation's energy system has briefly interrupted fuel transportation in the Southeastern United States, similar to a clot cutting off blood flow to the body.

If the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline lasts longer than anticipated, it may result in gas shortages and have an effect on prices.

Although experts warn drivers not to hurry to the gas station, government officials are working to shield Americans from rising gasoline prices and ensure that fuel can be delivered in other ways.

To be sure, the Colonial Pipeline says it plans to "substantially" restore service by the end of the week, limiting the worst of the consequences. However, motorists can feel the effects in the coming days.

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Colonial Pipeline is hoping to'substantially' resume operations by the end of the week following a cyberattack.

"There will be some outages," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, a fuel-savings app that monitors costs and shortages.

:What you need to remember is as follows

?What parts of the East Coast could be affected

The Colonial Pipeline system, which includes gasoline and jet fuel, transports about 45 percent of the fuel for the East Coast. From Texas to New Jersey, it stretches for 5,500 miles.

States such as Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia could be particularly vulnerable due to a lack of alternative fuel transportation options. Tanker shipments are more reliable for Gulf Coast states.

?How many gas stations are running out of fuel

According to GasBuddy, Virginia was in the worst condition as of mid-morning Tuesday, with around 7.5 percent of stations down. North Carolina was the worst-affected state, with 5.4 percent of stations down, 3.8 percent of Georgia stations down, and 1.7 percent of South Carolina stations down.

If the problem is not resolved soon, more stations that depend on the Colonial Pipeline for supply will run out of fuel.

Jessica Alcocer, a Citi Stop employee in Asheville, North Carolina, said the store ran out of gas on Monday afternoon.

"Everyone is in a panic," she said.

?Is it time to refuel

Only if absolutely necessary.

In states along the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic coasts, DeHaan advised drivers not to panic.

He warns against "going out and hoarding gasoline and exacerbating the problem."

?Will there be a price increase

According to DeHaan and Oil Price Information Service analyst Tom Kloza, the national average is unlikely to be impacted by more than a few pennies.

According to AAA, the national average price of gas was $2.99 per gallon on Tuesday, up 2 cents from the day before.

"These kinds of events aren't always major price movers," DeHaan said. "It's more of a supply issue."

Nonetheless, in some places, local prices have already risen.

South Carolina's average gas prices rose 6 cents per gallon to $2.74 per gallon on Tuesday, up from $2.68 per gallon on Monday, but the state remains the eighth-cheapest in the world.

Most states are unlikely to see a substantial increase, according to analysts, unless the outage lasts longer than anticipated.

Furthermore, according to Brian Bethune, a professor of applied economics at Boston College, some price rises can be due to other factors, such as the easing of COVID-19-related shutdowns, which is improving the economy and gas demand.

?What caused this to happen

.We don't know for sure yet

According to the FBI, an online gang known as DarkSide launched a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline system, which holds computerised systems hostage until a payment is made.

"On the investigation, we continue to work with the business and our government partners," the FBI said.

?How are governments responding, such as in Georgia

To compensate for some of the pipeline's capacity loss, the federal government has temporarily permitted tanker drivers to exceed statutory driving time limits.

"We're still evaluating commodity inventory in storage tanks at our facilities and others along our system, and we're working with our shippers to get it to terminals for local distribution," says the company.

Colonial Pipeline issued a release on Monday.

Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia has taken a number of measures, including temporarily lowering fuel taxes.

"We are suspending fuel taxes, raising the weight cap for supply vehicles, and banning price gouging to alleviate some of the cost pressure from Georgians as Colonial recovers," Kemp said in a statement. "We anticipate that these restrictions will be temporary, as Colonial expects to be fully operational later this week."

He continued, " "There's no need to run to the gas station to fill up all of your tanks and stockpile gas. With the steps we've taken today, I'm optimistic that we'll be able to bring more supplies to stations and get through the weekend, when Colonial should be back to usual."

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina declared a state of emergency and suspended "motor vehicle fuel laws" to ensure a sufficient supply of fuel in the state.

?Is it possible that a hack will occur again

Yes, indeed. The episode demonstrates how vulnerable the country's energy infrastructure is to hacking.

DeHaan said, "It utterly exposes a big weakness."

"Imagine if it was one of the power firms," Kloza says, adding that it's a "wakeup call" for the energy industry.

?How do I keep gas in my tank
Here are some pointers to think about.

Plan ahead of time to complete multiple errands in one trip, and avoid high-traffic times of day whenever possible.

If you have more than one car, choose the most fuel-efficient model that will meet your needs on any given journey.

Remove any unnecessary or bulky items from your vehicle. Roof racks should be used sparingly, and special carriers should be removed when not in use. A heavier car requires more fuel to accelerate, and the reduction in fuel economy is greater for small cars than for larger models.

Make use of air conditioning as little as possible. In addition to the engines required to operate the air-conditioning compressor, even on road speeds, open windows affect fuel savings.

Park in the shade during hot weather or use a windscreen to reduce the heat buildup in the car. This minimises the need to cool the car with air conditioning (and hence fuel).