The US government issued emergency legislation on Sunday after the largest fuel pipeline in the US was hit by a cyberattack.
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a regional emergency declaration affecting 17 states and the District of Columbia.
- The order aims to assist in need of an immediate supply of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products.
The US government issued emergency legislation on Sunday after the largest fuel pipeline in the US was hit by a cyberattack.
The company took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has halted all pipeline operations and affected some of the IT systems.
The states and jurisdictions affected by the pipeline shut down and included in the Emergency Declaration are Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The US government has loosened up rules on the fuel being transported by road. It means drivers in 18 states can work extra or more flexible hours when transporting refined petroleum products.
Even though fuel prices at the US pump remained unaffected on Monday, but still, there are still some fears that could change if the shutdown is prolonged.
Gaurav Sharma, an independent oil market analyst, told the BBC that a lot of fuel was now stranded at refineries in Texas.
"Unless they sort it out by Tuesday, they're in big trouble," said Mr Sharma. "The first areas to be hit would be Atlanta and Tennessee; then the domino effect goes up to New York."
He said oil futures traders were now "scrambling" to meet demand at a time when US inventories are declining, and demand - especially for fuel for cars - is on the rise as consumers return to the roads and the economy recovers.
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