BP to attach new cap on leaking Gulf well today

BP Plc said it expects to attach a new cap to contain the leaking Gulf of Mexico wellhead later on Monday.

BP Plc said it expects to attach a new cap to contain the leaking Gulf of Mexico wellhead later on Monday.

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"We have the cap very close, and later today we'll be attaching it," Doug Suttles, the company's chief operating officer, said during a media briefing. "It could take well through the day to complete."

Once it is installed, Suttles said BP will shut down two vessels siphoning oil from the leak -- one of which is expected to start up on Monday -- to monitor pressure and check the integrity of the blown-out well.

Those tests could last 48 hours or longer, Suttles said. If the cap works as intended, all crude oil should be contained, BP said.