Venice, Louisiana (CNN) -- As early as Wednesday morning, BP could try to stop the gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico with a maneuver called "top kill."
BP's top official told CNN that the oil company will make a decision later Wednesday on whether to start the procedure.
Top kill has worked successfully on above-ground oil wells in the Middle East but has never been tested 5,000 feet underwater.
But all previous attempts by the company to cap the spill have failed. And BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward has given the "top kill" maneuver a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of success.
The procedure involves pumping 50,000 pounds of thick, viscous fluid twice the density of water into the site of the leak to stop the oil flow. If all goes according to plan, the well then can be sealed shut with cement.
Through the early-morning hours Wednesday, BP put equipment into place. A team of experts will examine conditions inside the five-story blowout preventer to determine how much pressure the injected mud will have to overcome.
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