A simulation-based approach for assessing seaside infrastructure improvement measures for large marine crude oil terminals

We develop detailed simulation models for examining how various seaside infrastructure improvement measures of a marine crude oil terminal can increase its maximum oil throughput, reduce tanker delays, and minimize the total system cost over a certain planning horizon. The models account for special navigation constraints for oil tankers, realistic tidal constraints, and practical priority rules for different tanker types at the Rizhao Shihua Oil Terminal in China. Results show that the most cost-effective measure is adding a buffer to increase the one-way channel's tanker-handling capacity. This novel, low-cost measure thus holds much promise for real-world implementation.