Аннотация:Oil pollution is today one of the main factors of the technogenic impact on the environment. Emergencyoil spills are the main source of the oil pollution. The causes, scales, and environmental consequences ofemergency spills are considered. The advantages and drawbacks of methods for eliminating the spills of crude oiland petroleum products on the surface of water bodies are discussed. The features of the sorption method for oilcollection from the water surface, which is the most widely used method, are described in detail. Requirements topetroleum sorbents are analyzed, and classes of the sorbents are described. Synthetic polymer sorbents have a setof advantages over other types of oil-absorbing materials. Fighting emergency oil spills should include the activityaimed at their prevention. This is particularly topical for Russia, which starts active operation of the Northern SeaRoute and of shelf deposits of fossil fuels in seas of the Russian Arctic.