The oil-eating bacteria helped in the removal of Gulf oil spill, but it is not that easy in Arctic region. The Arctic waters also comprise of cold-adapted, oil-consuming microbes. Though, they function at a diminished rate of metabolism in comparison to the warm water species.
In the Arctic Ocean, the ocean currents do circulate, but over a larger surface area in comparison to the Gulf of Mexico, so it would take much more years for the bacteria to come back to the similar location. The cold temperatures also influence the nature of the oil, developing it more viscous and thicker that is tougher for the bacteria to dissociate.
An oil spill in such regions takes even longer to dissociate, as the levels of oxygen in such regions go way down and bacteria cannot live in such conditions easily.
