http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38255728?GT1=43001 HOUSTON — For the first time since the Gulf oil spill disaster started on April 20, the entire flow of oil was being contained Thursday as part of BP's pressure testing of a new cap, BP and federal officials said.
President Barack Obama called the news a "positive sign" but cautioned that "we're still in the testing phase."
If the cap holds, the idea is to keep it on — and the flow checked — until a relief well can plug the blownout well in August.
1.
Click here for related content
1.
Pyrosomes
AP
Spill altering food web
2. Shelters filling up as Gulf pet owners struggle
3. Oil dispersants another 'Agent Orange'?
4. Updated 98 minutes ago BP to drill for Libyan oil despite Lockerbie
5. Photos show vanishing oil berm
If the cap does not hold, BP has added to its siphoning capacity and expects to be able to siphon up most if not all of the oil starting next week. \
A worst-case scenario would be if the buildup in pressure created new leaks below the cap, making it even harder to contain the oil by siphoning it.
BP had slowly dialed down the flow as part of the pressure test. Engineers are now monitoring the pressure to see if the busted well holds.
Story continues below :More below