A major fuel pipeline in the Eastern U.S. has resumed “normal operations,” its operator announced on Saturday. “We have returned the system to normal operations, delivering millions of gallons per hour to the markets we serve,” Colonial Pipeline said in a statement. The Georgia-based firm initiated the restart of the approximately 5,500-mile pipeline, which stretches from Houston, Texas, to Linden, New Jersey, on Wednesday, but said at the time it would take several days for operations to fully resume. Markets served by the pipeline include Louisiana, Georgia, and Maryland. About 13,450 stations were out of fuel on Saturday, a drop from 16,315 that could not serve customers two days prior, according to GasBuddy. Shortages eased in some of the hardest-hit states, including North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Some four out of five stations remain out of fuel in Washington, with about half without gas in Georgia and North Carolina. Data …