Officials of British oil company BP said on Monday that they have completed the installation of a new sealing cap on the Deep Water Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company further informed that the move clears the way for testing to begin on Tuesday on the integrity of the well. The tests should show whether a quick end is in sight for the oil gushing from its deep water well in the Gulf of Mexico, BP said on its Web site.

The New York Times has reported that Doug Settles, BP's chief operating officer, said with the new cap in place the systems that have been collecting the gushing oil could be shut down and valves on the new cap would be closed to stop the oil flow outright.

The Times further said that once those valves are closed, if tests show the pressure rising and holding, indicating there is no significant damage along the length of the 13,000-feet well bore, the valves could remain closed, ending the three-month flow that has resulted in an environmental disaster in the gulf region.

The Times quoted Suttles as saying at a morning briefing, "The best-case scenario: The pressures rise to the point we anticipate they would. We'd likely be able to keep the well shut in."

Scientists from the U. S. Department of Energy would help analyze the test results, he added.

According to the Times, however, if tests show pressure in the well remains low, Suttles said, it would indicate a problem with the "integrity" of the well, the valves would have to be reopened, oil would again gush from the well and the collection systems would have to be restarted.

The collection systems would have to operate until the company completes work on relief wells to permanently seal the well, which might not happen for weeks, the newspaper said. (With Inputs from Agencies)