1 Sources of pollution.- 2 Effect of oil spills on land and water.- 3 Air pollution from the use of petroleum.- 4 Pollution occurring during exploration and production on land and sea.- 5 Accidental spills from tankers and other vessels.- 6 Operational pollution from tankers and other vessels.- 7 Port operations: Spills during loading, discharging and bunkering.- 8 The pipelines contribution.- 9 Spills during transport by road and rail.- 10 Domestic and Industrial Storage.- 11 Discharges from industrial plants and the like into sewers, rivers and the seas.- 12 The human factor in oil pollution.- 13 The role of law in the prevention of oil pollution.- 14 Conclusion.- Sources and acknowledgements.