FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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COLONIAL MAINTAINS CAPABILITY, COPES WITH SUPPLY AVAILABILITY

September 23, 2005

Colonial Pipeline announced today that, while its pipeline system currently remained fully capable of normal operations, the impact of Hurricane Rita on Gulf Coast refineries is currently limiting product supplies available to Colonial.

Colonial continues to make deliveries from inventories at tank farms, thereby limiting the impact on stub-line deliveries to marketing terminals. But periodic shutdowns of the Colonial's mainlines originating in Houston will be necessary today as Colonial awaits re-supply by operating refineries.

Colonial anticipates it will be able to continue intermittent deliveries on its mainlines over the next several days as refineries not impacted by the storm produce additional product.

Hurricane Rita is expected to make landfall on the Texas-Louisiana coast late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Colonial has taken steps to help expedite the pipeline’s return to full, normal operations as soon as possible. These steps include efforts to protect the pipeline and pipeline facilities as well as the positioning of portable sources of electricity should there be widespread power outages.

"We are working hard to maintain our operations as Hurricane Rita approaches the Gulf Coast," said Colonial CEO and President Dave Lemmon. "We are working closely with our shippers, refineries and government authorities to minimize any impact on fuel supplies."

Colonial Pipeline, headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., delivers a daily average of 100 million gallons of gasoline, home heating oil, aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products to communities and businesses throughout the South and Eastern United States. Colonial consists of more than 5,500 miles of pipeline, originating at Houston, Texas, and terminating at the New York harbor.