In this paper, oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double Pickering emulsions were prepared by purified and modified attapulgite (ATP), and modified nano-Fe3O4 as stable particles. By using the Pickering emulsion as a template and using methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl methacrylate ester (BMA) and styrene (St) as monomers, ATP/P(MMA-BMA-St)/Fe3O4 composite porous resins were then prepared. The oil absorption performance of the composites was investigated. The results showed that the composite materials prepared by the double Pickering emulsion template method exhibited a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure. When using the optimal conditions (m MMA: m BMA = 3:2, m (MMA+BMA): m St = 1:2, initiator = 5.33%, crosslinking agent = 20%, modified attapulgite = 0.33% and oil phase/water phase = 1:4), the prepared porous material had the best oil absorption performance, resulting in a diesel oil absorption rate and oil retention rate of 897.29 and 84.76% respectively. This study provides a simple, economic and environmentally friendly method for the preparation of inorganic–organic composite porous materials, which has great application potential in the field of oil treatment. Oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double Pickering emulsions were prepared using purified and modified attapulgite (ATP) and modified nano-Fe3O4 as stable particles and then used as templates to form ATP/P(MMA-BMA-St)/Fe3O4 composite porous resins. The experiment provides a simple, economic and environmentally friendly method for the preparation of inorganic–organic composite porous materials, which are expected to have great application potential in the field of oil treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]