As integrity tests continue Tuesday on BP’s ruptured Gulf oil well, scientists are weighing a possible new option for permanently sealing it.

The “static kill” method, as it is being called, would involve pumping mud into the well to force oil back into the reservoir below, BP officials said Monday, noting that the option could succeed where other similar ones have failed because pressure in the well is lower than expected.

BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells told reporters Monday that the idea was still “very much in its infancy,” but that a decision could be made in several days.

“At the end of the day, relief wells are still the ultimate solution,” Wells added.

Adm. Thad Allen, the federal government’s point man on the spill response, said Monday that there were no signs of significant problems with the leaking well’s casing, but he said test on the well could continue for another 24 hours as federal and company officials try to explain “anomalous” pressure readings and possible leaks.