Update: NEW YORK (AP) – The operator of a major U.S. pipeline hit by a cyberattack says it hopes to have service mostly restored by the end of the week. Colonial Pipeline offered that update Monday after revealing that it had halted operations because of a ransomware attack. The FBI has linked the attack to a criminal gang.

The cyberattack is raising concern that supplies of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel could be disrupted in parts of the East Coast if the outage lasts several more days. The Colonial Pipeline transports gasoline and other fuel through 10 states between Texas and New Jersey, delivering roughly 45% of fuel consumed on the East Coast.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FOX 46) – Gas prices could increase in the Carolinas after a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline late Friday evening, experts told WJZY.

The company closed the 5,500 hundred mile pipe that runs through 12 states including North Carolina. It transfers around 45 percent of all fuel consumed on the East Coast.

Experts said if the pipeline is not up and running in the next 24 hours, we could start to see a 10, 20, or even 30 cent increase in gas prices. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the Myrtle Beach area is $2.69, according to AAA.

In a statement, the company said: “We proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which has temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our it systems. Upon learning of the issue, a leading, third-party cybersecurity firm was engaged, and they have already launched an investigation.”