(Adds comment from Circle K)
NEW YORK, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Refiner Motiva has warned customers along the route of the largest U.S. fuel pipeline to prepare for shortages after Hurricane Harvey shut refineries and cut supply to the line, said a source at a fuel distributor supplied by Motiva.
Motiva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harvey shut refineries that can process up to 4.4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude. The plants shut down include Motiva's 603,000 bpd facility in Port Arthur, Texas, the largest refinery in the country.
The reduction in fuel supplies has forced the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies fuel from refineries near the Gulf of Mexico to the U.S. Northeast, to reduce supplies. Motiva warned customers near the areas supplied by the pipeline to brace for shortages, the source said.
Convenience store and gas station chain Circle K, a big buyer from Motiva, said the company was working with a limited supply.
"Circle K is continually assessing the fuel situation... is working hard to get our fuel supply to full capacity and to all our stores as soon as possible," a company spokesperson said.
Alimentation Couche Tard Inc ATDb.TO is the operator of Circle K stores