New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- BP plans to begin testing the new cap on its ruptured deepwater well Tuesday -- a move that officials hope will be a step on the way to stopping oil from gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.
"This test involves closing one or more of the valves on the new cap for a period of time to allow BP to measure pressures in the well," retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said.
The process could take anywhere from six hours to two days, or longer if BP extends them.
