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BP Oil Spill Day 46: Cap Installed, Should Know Later Today How Much Oil is Being Captured.

A BP executive says he’s “confident” that a new cap placed over the leaking well will begin to capture some of the oil and prevent it from flowing into the Gulf of Mexico.

“I am actually pretty confident this is going to work,” BP COO Doug Suttles told “GMA.” “It probably won’t capture all of the flow but it should capture the vast majority…”

BP has siphoned some of the oil up a pipe, The Associated Press reported. Suttles told George Stephanopoulos on “GMA” that they should have their first indication of how much oil they are capturing later this morning.

“It is hard to put a precise number on it. But what we will be doing is monitoring it very, very closely as we slowly increase the production,” Suttles said. “And what we are trying to do is get the maximum amount we can with the minimum amount leaking by. But we will probably have to have some very small amount leaking around the bottom to make sure we don’t draw this water in.”

The live images of the leaking well show oil still flowing out from the cap, but Suttles said that is due to four vents that were installed in the top of the dome to prevent hydrates from forming. BP will begin successively closing those vents over the course of the day, Suttles said.

Later today President Obama will visit the region, his third trip since the spill began. He will be briefed by Adm. Thad Allen and meet with local residents and the governors of the Gulf states.

Obama postponed his trip, for the second time, to Indonesia and Australia that was scheduled for later this month.

At least 140 miles of the Gulf Coast have now been touched by oil. An oily sheen has been spotted less than seven miles from Pensacola, Fla.

 By KATE McCARTHY

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