The Colonial Pipeline is the largest pipeline system for refined oil products in the U.S. The pipeline – consisting of three tubes – is 5,500 miles (8,850 km) long and can carry 3 million barrels of fuel per day between Texas and New York. It is operated by the Colonial Pipeline Company, which is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1961 and construction of the pipeline began in 1962. In May 2021, the pipeline was the subject of a ransomware cyberattack that caused a shutdown of their operations for five days, which resulted in a temporary fuel shortage along the East Coast. Background Colonial consists of more than 5,500 mi (8,850 km) of pipeline, originating in Houston, Texas, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and terminating at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The pipeline travels through the coastal states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Branches from the main pipeline also reach Tennessee. It delivers a daily average of of gasoline, home heating oil, aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products to communities and businesses throughout the South and Eastern United States. The main lines are and in (inner) diameter, with one devoted primarily to gasoline and the other carrying distillate products such as jet fuel, diesel fuel, and home heating oil. The pipeline connects directly to major airports along the system. Fifteen associated oil terminals store more than of fuel and provide a 45-day supply for local communities. Products move through the main lines at a rate of about . It generally takes from 14 to 24 days for a batch to get from Houston, Texas to New York Harbor, with 18.5 days the average time. Ownership Colonial Pipeline's owners are: Koch Industries (a.k.a. Koch Capital Investments Company LLC, 28.09% stake ownership) South Korea's National Pension Service and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (a.k.a. Keats Pipeline Investors LP, 23.44% stake ownership) Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (16.55% stake ownership via CDPQ Colonial Partners LP, acquired in 2011) Royal Dutch Shell (a.k.a. Shell Pipeline Company LP, 16.12% stake ownership) IFM Investors (a.k.a. IFM (US) Colonial Pipeline 2 LLC, 15.80% stake ownership, acquired in 2007) History and timeline Eight major oil companies began discussing a Gulf Coast-to-East Coast pipeline in 1956. On June 7, 1961, Sinclair Pipeline Co., Texaco Inc., Gulf Oil