An oil skimmer is a mechanical device designed to recover oil from the surface of water bodies, primarily in response to oil spills, by separating and collecting the lighter oil layer while minimizing water intake.[1] Oil skimmers were first developed in the 1960s in response to growing concerns over oil spills. These devices are essential tools in environmental cleanup efforts, often deployed from vessels, shores, or as self-propelled units to prevent oil from reaching sensitive coastal areas or ecosystems.[2]

Oil skimmers operate by concentrating oil slicks, typically using containment booms to herd the oil, followed by recovery mechanisms that scoop, absorb, or suction the oil into storage tanks for disposal or recycling.[3] There are three primary types: weir skimmers, which employ a submerged dam-like barrier at the oil-water interface to allow oil to overflow into a collection well while blocking heavier water; oleophilic skimmers, which use oil-attracting materials such as belts, disks, or mop chains to adhere to and lift oil from the surface before scraping or squeezing it off; and suction skimmers, which use floating heads and vacuum systems to draw oil directly into pumps and tanks.[1] Each type is selected based on environmental conditions, oil viscosity, and water turbulence, with recovery efficiencies varying from 20% to over 90% depending on factors like wave height and debris presence—for example, during the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill, skimmers recovered only about 5% of the spilled oil due to challenges from kelp and rough seas.[4]