WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US energy supplies have suffered another blow from deadly Hurricane Harvey, which shut a key network of pipelines that supplies fuel along the East Coast, pushing US petrol prices up.
The hurricane, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression after it killed 33 people in eastern Texas, has already forced the closure of nearly a quarter of US oil refining capacity.
The Colonial Pipeline, which delivers huge amounts of diesel, petrol and aviation fuel between Houston and the East Coast, said it was stopping supplies after its refineries and some other facilities had to be closed down.
Colonial facilities west of Lake Charles, La., are temporarily out of service.
Due to supply constraints caused by storm-related refinery shut-downs and the impact to Colonial's facilities west of Lake Charles, Line 2, which transports primarily diesel and aviation fuels, suspended service Wednesday.
Line 1, which transports gasoline and is currently operating at reduced rates, will suspend service Thursday, Colonial said.
'Once Colonial is able to ensure that its facilities are safe to operate and refiners in Lake Charles and points east have the ability to move product to Colonial, our system will resume operations,' the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system said in a statement.
The two pipelines together transport more than 100 million gallons of gasoline, heating oil and aviation fuel between the Gulf Coast and the New York Harbor area each day.
Half of the 26 refineries that connect to the Colonial system are located between Houston and Lake Charles.
Colonial said there are multiple other means of fuel delivery system to mitigate concerns with supply, including other pipelines, trucks, and barges.
European traders are reportedly scrambling to provide additional supplies.
S&P Global Platts said that about one fifth of the nation's refining capacity has been hit by Harvey, while some reports say East Coast refineries were running out of petrol.
Meanwhile, the US National Weather Service has predicted heavy rainfall from Louisiana to Kentucky over the next three days. Flood warnings remain in effect for south-east Texas and parts of south-west Louisiana.
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