On Friday, the Colonial Pipeline, which is the largest refined product pipeline in the U.S., running 5,500 miles from Texas to New Jersey, was attacked by ransomware, assumed to be launched by hackers in Russia. The pipeline was forced to close. The company is slowly reopening lateral pipelines to tank farms, but primary operations are still halted. The Colonial line carries 2.5 million barrels per day of refined product such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, which amounts to about 45 percent of the fuel supply on the East Coast. Given the route from Texas to New Jersey, the key impact areas would be in the southeast. It takes 13-18 days to move fuel through the entirety of the pipeline, so the southe...
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...