New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) - BP replaced a leaking piece of equipment Thursday and hoped to resume procedures leading up to a vital well pressure test that could put an end to the oil that has been gushing into Gulf of Mexico for the last 12 weeks, said a top company official.
The "integrity" test is intended to measure pressure readings from inside the well. If the pressure readings are satisfactory, the valves on the new containment cap could remain closed, preventing oil from flowing into the sea.
BP was forced to suspend operations Wednesday after a leak was discovered in what is known as a choke line.
Senior Vice President Kent Wells told reporters Thursday the company was able to disconnect the leaking choke line and replace it.
Wells said BP hopes to go forward getting ready for integrity testing "sometime today."
BP was still able to collect oil while it was addressing the choke line problem, he said. In all, 12,800 barrels (537,600 gallons) had been collected Wednesday. Oil recovery had been suspended earlier in preparation for the testing.
A successful test could signal a beginning of an end to the catastrophe that began when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers and triggering the relentless oil spill.
Once the testing begins, scientists will monitor pressure levels inside the containment cap.
Low pressure readings would indicate that the integrity of the well bore has been compromised and oil is seeping out elsewhere. High pressure readings would mean that scientists will consider using the cap to shut in the well completely.
The testing will last up to 48 hours. A key question was whether shutting the well was worth the risk, or whether it might damage the well bore.
BP is drilling two relief wells, which are seen as the ultimate solution to the oil disaster. They are expected to be completed in August.