First of all, the presence of oil and the presence of biological activity make the ice much less reflective, and there's a lot more energy absorbed from the sun, so the melting processes are enhanced by the presence of oil.
Secondly, the main conclusion of our work with regard to an oil spill would be that should there be a major blowout somewhat similar to the one in the gulf, which independent people are estimating at as high as 70,000 barrels per day—our analysis was based on a 1,000-barrel-per-day blowout—because of the conditions in the Beaufort Sea, it would not likely be stoppable for at least a year, and possibly more than a year if we couldn't get a relief well in because of ice conditions in the second year.
Basically, if there were a blowout in the Beaufort Sea or in the Arctic, particularly in the moving pack ice area, we do not have a base of knowledge to be able to predict what would happen. On the other hand, from what we've seen in terms of the albedo changes, it's possible that a major blowout could have severe impacts on the stability of the sea ice, and that could have major climatic impact.