Baku, July 30 (AZERTAC). Retired U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who oversees operations to deal with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, says the first step to permanently seal, or kill, the damaged BP well could come as early as next week. But, the clean up and recovery effort from leaked oil could take many months.

Speaking to reporters in New Orleans, Admiral Allen said preparations for plugging the well from the top with mud and cement, the so-called static kill, could start this weekend. He said crews would likely carry out the procedure sometime next week and then start the so-called bottom kill in which they pump mud and cement into the sub-seabed shaft.

Allen says extensive tests have shown that the cap placed over the well head is holding and that it would be safe to proceed with both operations.

"Our science team has come to the conclusion that we do have well integrity, that the well is safe to do a static kill and that this would actually enhance and make more effective the ultimate bottom kill because we would be filling the well with mud and cement from the top down," said Thad Allen,

In the static kill, crews pump mud and cement through pipes from surface ships into the cap over the well head and through the blowout preventer that it sits on. The mud and cement would then block the flow of oil from the subsea shaft and turn the blowout preventer and cap into a permanent top seal. If that operation goes well, then crews will start pumping mud and cement down through the shaft of the relief well so as to seal off the source of oil from below.