Ship traffic operations are back to normal along the Sabine-Neches Waterway, US, eight days after a tanker collision, according to a marine organisation.

The accident resulted in 11,000 barrels of spilled oil and had temporarily shut the channel that supplies crude to four US refineries, reports Reuters.

The waterway had been shut between 23-27 January while the damaged tanker blocked the waterway. After the tanker was removed, vessels faced significant restrictions including allowing only one ship at a time in portions of the channel to prevent spreading the spilled oil, according to the news agency.

The only limitation is a seven-mile stretch where ships must reduce their speed to avoid spreading oil remaining to be cleaned, according to the Sabine Pilots association.