The invention discloses a nonlinear production plan optimization method applied to oil refineries, which includes the steps: firstly, setting up an oil refining production logic network; secondly, setting up process modules of an atmospheric and vacuum CDU (crude distillation unit) and a FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) unit; thirdly, inputting all constraint condition data and determining a target function in two-stage search; and fourthly, using the mixed searching method to optimally determine production plan decision variables. The genetic algorithm and direct search algorithm are combined on the basis of the simulation modeling technique, global profits of an oil refinery production plan can be effectively increased without destroying the constraint conditions, tremendous computation generated during solving of complex production plan problems can be avoided, and optimized solutions can be quickly obtained. The nonlinear production plan optimization method is simple in principle, convenient in implementation, high in transportability and applicable to different production plan environments.