Monday, 10 May 2021 05:56

Oil rises after cyber attack forces closure of U.S. fuel pipeline

Rate this item
(0 votes)

Crude prices climbed more than 1% on Monday after a major cyber attack that forced the shutdown of critical fuel supply pipelines in the United States, highlighting the fragility of oil infrastructure.

Brent crude was up by 76 cents, or 1.1%, at $$69.04 a barrel by 0039 GMT, having risen by l.5% last week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose by 70 cents, or 1.1%, at $65.60 a barrel, after gaining more than 2% last week.

Signalling the seriousness of the situation, the White House was working closely with Colonial Pipeline to help it recover from the ransomware attack, which forced the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline operator to shut a network supplying populous eastern states.

Colonial’s network is the source of nearly half of the U.S. East Coast’s fuel supply, transporting 2.5 million barrels per day of gasoline and other fuels, and the company had to shut all its pipelines after the cyber attack on Friday, which involved ransomware.

It was not clear who carried out the attack, but sources told Reuters the hackers were likely a professional cybercriminal group.

Colonial said on Sunday its main fuel lines remain offline but some smaller lines between terminals and delivery points are now operational. It didn’t say when the network might return to full operational capacity.

“The major takeaway is the bad guys are very adept at finding new ways to penetrate infrastructure,” Andrew Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates told Reuters. “Infrastructure has not developed defences that can offset all the different ways that malware can infect one’s system.”

A prolonged shutdown of the line, described as the “jugular of infrastructure” in the United States by one analyst, would cause prices to spike at gasoline pumps ahead of peak summer driving season, a potential blow to U.S. consumers and the economy.

U.S. gasoline prices jumped nearly 2%, while heating oil was up by more than 1%.

The attack has prompted calls from American lawmakers to strengthen protections for critical U.S. energy infrastructure from hacking attacks.

The Department of Energy said it was monitoring potential impacts to the nation’s energy supply, while the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Transportation Security Administration told Reuters they were working on the situation.

 

Reuters

December 25, 2024

Investors add N500bn profit on Christmas Eve to the N1trn raked in last week as…

The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) is ending the year on a high note, with investors adding…
December 20, 2024

Atiku questions alleged hack of NBS website, says timing suspicious

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over the recent claim that the website…
December 25, 2024

Why Christmas and the birth of Jesus are all about hope, peace, joy and love

The Advent season is about preparing our hearts, minds and souls to welcome the birth…
December 21, 2024

‘Professional Back-Scratchers’ charge up to $130 per hour

The Scratcher Girls is an unconventional relaxation therapy studio that charges clients up to $130…
December 21, 2024

NAFDAC busts illegal rice repackaging operations in Nasarawa, Abuja

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cracked down on…
December 25, 2024

What to know after Day 1035 of Russia-Ukraine war

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine says Russia used 60 drones in overnight attack Ukraine said Russia had…
December 25, 2024

Stem cell therapy to correct heart failure in children could 'transform lives'

Renowned visionary English physician William Harvey wrote in 1651 about how our blood contains all…
December 17, 2024

Ademola Lookman named 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the year. These players won in other…

Ademola Lookman, the Super Eagles winger, was crowned the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the…

NEWSSCROLL TEAM: 'Sina Kawonise: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief; Prof Wale Are Olaitan: Editorial Consultant; Femi Kawonise: Head, Production & Administration; Afolabi Ajibola: IT Manager;
Contact Us: [email protected] Tel/WhatsApp: +234 811 395 4049

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 NewsScroll. All rights reserved.