In natural gas logistics, the efficient and safe control of gas flow supply is regarded as important in meeting the technical and commercially complex task of transportation. For this purpose the most accurate forecast of the gas volumes to be transported and an accurate simulation with respect to the situational best control strategy are of great relevance. The design of the forecasting methods depends to a considerable extent on the market structure and appropriate legal framework. For the transport of gas throughout the Austrian transmission network, an absolutely reliable forecast of the quantity of natural gas to be transported is only possible for a period of two hours, due to applicable laws and regulations. Over this period, assumptions going forward are with an increasing forecast period afflicted by rising uncertainty. For the selection of simulation tools used in the operational field, both the requirement for the input and calculation times needed for the implementation of simulation, and the accuracy of the algorithm used are crucial factors. The achievement of accurate results is, because of the need for complex calculations, contradicted by the short input and calculation times required to support rapid decision-making. Therefore, compromises are often accepted in terms of the accuracy of the calculation algorithms which are used. However, in turn this leads to the increased risk that in situations where two or more different modes of operation have similar efficiency, due to limited accuracy in its results an unfavorable alternative is chosen in comparison to the optimum solution. With objective of carrying out an evaluation and optimization of the simulation tools used in operational gas flow control, in this work initially both the general principles for the analysis of gas transmission networks, as well as the requirements of the applied forecasting methods will be investigated. Subsequently, due to the specifications of the Austrian transmission network and the existing market rules, the basic requirements and the framework conditions for the benchmark of simulation tools supporting the operational gas flow control will be set out. A selection of available simulation tools meeting those requirements and the possibility of their implementation in the existing system landscape will be investigated. To this end, several simulation series are operated under consistent conditions. The required and necessary interfaces to other system components, especially those used for the SCADA system, are examined in terms of adaptability and practicality. Furthermore, the results obtained in the context of the simulation series are compared with the necessary input and calculation effort needed to carry out the simulation together with analyses of the causes of occurring deviating results. Through a direct comparison between the tools examined within the benchmark, the strengths and weaknesses of applied simulation tools are clarified. An economic analysis is also carried out. Due to the findings brought forward via the benchmark, it is finally possible to derive different strategies and optimization potentials. Both for the further refinement of the forecasting process as well as for the further development of applied simulation tools, suggestions for improvement can finally be designed and recommendations made.