Colonial Pipeline has shut down its main gasoline and diesel lines following an explosion and fire along its right of way in Shelby county, Alabama.
The explosion this afternoon occurred near the site of a September spill that shut down the gasoline-bearing Line 1 for several weeks. A number of workers were injured in this accident, according to local media reports, which showed flames and a black column of smoke billowing into the air.
This year has been one of the worst in more than a decade for Colonial, which has seen several shutdowns over pipeline spills and other integrity concerns.
On 9 September an estimated 8,000 bl of gasoline leaked near a remote mining site in Alabama, interrupting the flow of gasoline on Line 1 from 9 September until 22 September. The spill cut 1.3mn b/d of gasoline deliveries throughout the southeast and caught terminals short of supply.
The company built a 500-foot temporary bypass to restore service as crews struggled to dig through gasoline-soaked soil.
Colonial had planned to complete permanent repairs on the line by mid-November.
The 5,500-mile (8,851km) Colonial pipeline system moves products from the US Gulf coast through the southeast and Atlantic coast to the New York Harbor market.
