Energy Transfer Partners yesterday morning reported a cyberattack on its third-party electronic data interchange (EDI) provider, Latitude Technologies, which shut down the pipeline operator’s electronic file transfers with its customers. Natural gas flow through the pipeline network was not affected, according to ETP.
Later in the evening, the company announced in another notice to its shippers that testing determined it was safe to again transfer files through the EDI platform. The origin of the attack is unknown at this time.
Energy Transfer spokeswoman Vicki Granado said yesterday, “This situation has not impacted our operations. We are handling all scheduling in house during this time.”
The EDI system allows the computer-to-computer exchange of documents with customers. On 3 April, Latitude, based in Plano, Texas, posted on its system status webpage, “We have completed the initial restoration of the system. We are now working towards increasing performance. While we believe things to be fully restored, we will continue to monitor for gaps in functionality.”
Latitude provides services to more than 100 natural gas pipelines, storage facilities, utilities, law firms, and energy marketers nationwide. Among its customers are small, independent operators as well as ExxonMobil and Chevron.
ETP’s operations include approximately 61,000 miles of natural gas pipeline, 146 Bcf of working storage capacity, and more than 60 natural gas facilities to provide gathering and processing, compression, and treating and transportation of natural gas in regions such as the Eagle Ford, Haynesville, Barnett, Fayetteville, Marcellus, Utica, Bone Spring, and Avalon Shales.