Non-random thought: It wasn't a cyber-attack.
?? Theory ??
Why do I say that? --Because it's the excuse that the press is reporting.
I worked in IT for a natural gas distribution company for 10 years. I absolutely believe that they didn't have protections in place for their SCADA systems. That part is probably true. But...
I also know we wouldn't have shut down the whole gas system for a ransomware attack. The computers that control their SCADA systems could be reimaged in a couple of hours and the pipeline has manual controls for just this kind of situation.
Thank you for the education. I wasn't too far off!
Resolved, then: it's either Cabal shutting down their pipeline for market-rigging purposes, or white-hats/patriots-in-control shutting it down to thwart a potential terrorist plot they'd gotten wind of of. --Blowing up a pipeline now doesn't result in that massive of a fire; it'd only burn what was in that particular section.
It also occurs to me that surreptitious travel by "pig" is now no longer possible, although I suspect that such a thing was never more than the provenance of Bond films.
Hmmm. Travel by "pig". Pipeline shut down to stop human trafficking? Yeah, I think I need to get some more coffee.