BP remains cautious on new Gulf of Mexico oil leak cap, prepares for testing

BP: Still waiting to begin tests on leak cap

NEW ORLEANS — BP is still waiting to start tests on a new cap atop the gushing Gulf of Mexico oil leak, saying the work requires extreme precision.

Company vice president Kent Wells said in a Tuesday afternoon news briefing that testing was unlikely to start for several hours.

He said he had been overly optimistic in a morning briefing, when he predicted a midday start.

The company wants to slowly close off the cap in hopes of containing the oil leak for the first time since April 20.

The tests will tell if the cap can hold, and also if there are leaks that hadn’t been discovered before.

If the test shows the cap can’t be closed, the company plans to collect the leaking oil with vessels on the surface of the Gulf.