Hand manipulable skimmer system for removing an oil sheen from the surface of a body of water

A portable liquid surface skimmer efficiently removes small spills of petroleum derivatives from the surface of water, and is useful, for example, on thin sheen spills of oil or gasoline, in boating marinas. The skimmer is controlled by a long handle held by an operator, with a swivel connection to the skimmer body. The skimmer body is placed in the water empty, to take on a controlled amount of water as ballast, putting the skimmer at a proper level to skim the surface using a floating weir. A withdrawal conduit from the skimmer's sump leads to a storage tank or more preferably to some form of separator on shore or on a dock, for further separation of water from the contaminants. In one preferred form of the system and method, the skimmed oil/water mix is passed through a special filter medium which removes the petroleum sufficiently that the water can be returned to its source, eliminating the need for hauling large volumes of liquid away to a disposal site.