Abstract: As an important storage equipment in the petrochemical industry, the safety of crude oil storage tanks is crucial for environmental protection and industrial production. With the development of technology, the inspection and evaluation techniques of crude oil storage tanks are also improving. The cooperation between different techniques often results in better performance. This paper systematically introduced the basic principles and implementation steps of risk assessment and acoustic emission inspection for storage tanks，the risk assessment correction method based on acoustic emission inspection results was carried out for 8 100 000 m³ crude oil storage tanks. The results showed that the application of the risk assessment correction method based on the acoustic emission detection results could significantly extend the inspection cycle of the storage tanks and provide guidance for the practical methods of scientifically establishing maintenance gradients. It had important engineering application value for ensuring the safe and stable operation of crude oil storage tanks.