After the deadly rig explosion on April 20 opened the gusher about 1.6 km under the Gulf of Mexico, hundreds of millions of liters of crude oil spewed into the sea before BP succeeded in sealing the leak in mid-July with a tight-fitting containment cap.

BP's incoming head Bob Dudley, who is currently in charge of the cleanup operations in the Gulf of Mexico, on Friday expressed confidence in the "static kill" process, saying "we are hopeful by Tuesday the static kill will have been performed."

Dudley was echoed by BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, who said Sunday "I do have a lot of confidence we will be successful."

However, U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is tasked to handle the oil spill, last week warned against elevated optimism. "We should not be writing any obituary for this event," he said.

Meanwhile, drilling relief wells remains the only sure way to seal the underwater gusher. The first of the two relief wells under construction is expected to be completed in August.

If the "static kill" succeeds, it will make it easier to finish the relief wells and also reduce the amount of mud needed to choke the oil for good, experts said.

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