Investigation of Iranian Ports Performance in Oil Exchanges Using Data Envelopment Analysis

In this study, the performance and efficiency of 12 ports in the Persian Gulf, Oman and Caspian seas in Iran is evaluated using data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. DEA allows comparing the efficiency in revenue generation of ports with different economies. Two different modeling approaches were presented in this study; based on relating earnings to port operational capability and activity, and based on land indicators, infrastructure, and equipment. The results of this study showed that most of the ports in the Persian Gulf region had a relative efficiency in the field of petroleum products. On the other hand, a significant difference was observed between the nominal capacity of acceptance of petroleum products of ports and the volume of oil product exchanges.