Improvement of an Oil Port’s Performance Using a Discrete Event Simulation Approach

This paper presents the Discrete Event Simulation (DES) approach used to describe the tankers’ traffic and detailed port operations at a Morrocan oil port, and to test different what-if scenarios. A simulation model was developed using ARENA software, according to the random factors on arrival of tankers, probabilistic weather and tidal conditions, oil terminal operations and complex allocations rules of tankers to berths. The model parameters are configurated using real data collected from an operator at an oil port in Morocco. It was validated by the port’s managers and used as a strategic decisions’ support tool. In our study, we used the model to evaluate and test multiple infrastructure improvements, in addition to define the best-found combination of unloading throughputs, in the aim of optimizing Key Indicator Performances (KPI) of the oil port.