BP told to step up monitoring of well

BP began pressure tests on the well after choking it off on Thursday for the first time since the April 20 rig explosion that triggered the leak. Underwater robots scanned the sea floor for signs the undersea well was damaged.

"We've seen no negative evidence of any breaching there," said Kent Wells, BP's senior vice president of exploration and production.

The tests, which began Thursday afternoon and are expected to last up to 48 hours, showed the cap was building pressure in the well, meaning it was strong enough to contain the oil without leaking. But it was not rising fast enough.

"We have decided to move forward with another six-hour increment (of testing)," retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the U.S. government's point man on the spill, told reporters at a briefing on Friday afternoon.

Allen had said pressure above 7,500 pounds per square inch would show the well was intact, while pressure that lingered below 6,000 psi would signal damage.

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