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BP could try an operation by this weekend to permanently seal its breached Gulf of Mexico oil well -- but only if federal officials approve the plan and BP gets a crucial casing in place, the government's point man on the oil spill said Wednesday.

The tactic, called a "static kill," involves pumping mud into the well to force oil back into the reservoir below.

Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who's leading the federal response to the spill, told reporters time is of the essence because of the potential for severe weather coming from the Caribbean. BP is not attempting to get the casing in place until they determine what the weather may do, he said.

Officials from BP have said the "static kill" option could succeed where similar attempts have failed because pressure in the well is lower than expected.

Geologist Arthur Berman said on CNN's "American Morning" Tuesday that the relative simplicity of a static kill makes it an attractive option for BP.

"I think the reason that they're considering it is because they've yet to intercept the well bore," Berman said. "They're very close, a few feet away with the relief well, as everyone knows. But to actually intersect the 7-inch pipe does involve a bit of technology and accuracy, whereas if they do the static kill through the existing well bore at the top, there's less uncertainty about their ability to actually get the mud into the pipe."

A team of scientists and engineers led by the Unified Area Command will decide whether to proceed with the "static kill" technique.

BP said Wednesday the cap that was placed on the sunken well July 12 is still keeping the oil inside. No oil is leaking into the water as pressure slowly rises, it said, but critical tests on the capped well continue as scientists work on the ultimate solution to end the oil disaster.

Pressure testing on the well was extended for another 24 hours Tuesday, Allen said.

The tests on the new, tightly fitting containment cap began last Thursday and are designed to determine its effectiveness. Federal officials said Tuesday that one reported leak is coming from another old well a couple of miles away and is inconsequential.

Though the new cap has stopped the incessant flow of oil into the Gulf, government officials and BP have said that the cap on the well is only a temporary fix for the oil disaster.

Meanwhile, Allen said, crews are "starting to have trouble finding oil." Officials have said that is a reflection of the work that skimmers and cleanup crews are doing as no new oil flows into the Gulf.

Several U.S. politicians have criticized BP for trying to put a positive spin on the crisis during the three months since the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank. Wednesday, BP confirmed to CNN that a staff photographer had altered pictures of engineers looking at three blank screens at the company's oil spill control center, making the screens look like they were displaying underwater shots, to "enhance the quality of the photo."

BP says that the photographer had no intention to mislead anybody and the altered picture was taken off the BP website as soon as the issue was discovered.

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Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of __________________, code name ‘Nike”,
signing off