Abstract: Foundation settlement has serious influence on the operation safety of large oil tank, especially the uneven settlement of tank wall. Based on the measured settlement data of storage tanks in service in a tankfarm in China, several applicable standards in China and abroad, i.e. SH/T 3123-2001, SY/T 5921-2011, API 653-2009 and EEMUA 159-2003, are employed for safety evaluation. Finite element model of settlement is built, and the influence of uneven settlement on the intensity of tank is analyzed. Compared with the finite element calculation method, the differences between above standards are evaluated. Results show that the requirements for foundation settlement in Chinese and foreign standards are relatively conservative, especially the Chinese standard SY/T 5921-2011, which provides stricter requirements than API 653-2009 and EEMUS 159-2003. Finally, it is pointed out that foundation settlement indicators of storage tank prescribed in the rules and regulations in China and abroad are unreasonable, and the response of the tank structure on foundation deformation should be fully considered in setting the settlement standards.