Abstract: The form of oil tanker hull structure has undergone an evolutionary change over the past decades.This article summarizes a range of different hull structures of oil tanker and main components of modifications in the related rules and specifications on the hull structure design.For the modifications may exert influences on the design of oil tanker,the article analyzes these influences and gives an elaboration of the trends in desig ning the hull structure,along with a discussion on the future development of design practice in the national shipbuilding industry,providing a thorough understanding on the different hull structure designs as well as t he features associated with hull structure standards and rules of oil tanker.