BP aims to start the so-called "static kill" on Sunday or Monday, a method involving pumping heavy drilling fluids, known as mud, through the blowout preventer valve system that sits on top of the well, and then injecting cement to seal it.

However, the ultimate solution is drilling relief wells. The first of the two relief wells under construction is expected to be completed in August, yet it is still contingent on the weather.

Though the blown-out well is finally on the verge of being sealed, years of legal wrangles and probes lie ahead, and myriad questions remain about the long-term effects of the massive oil spill on wildlife, the environment and the life of Gulf residents.

BP is beleaguered by a variety of investigations. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice have launched "informal enquiries" into securities matters related to the spill.

The U.S. Senate is also pondering a probe into whether BP played a role in the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, a Libyan national and the only man convicted over the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 270.

Meanwhile, several U.S. government agencies are reportedly preparing a criminal investigation into whether BP and at least two other companies committed crimes in the leadup to the Gulf of Mexico incident, such as making false statements to regulators, obstructing justice, or falsifying test results.
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