BP moved another step closer to ending the Gulf of Mexico oil spill by completing cementing operations at the MC252 well, part of the "static kill" procedure.The oil giant, which began the operation earlier this week by pumping mud into the broken well, was given clearance to begin cementing yesterday.Its aim is to assist with the strategy to kill and isolate the well, and will complement the upcoming relief well operation. BP said on Wednesday that the well "appears to have reached a static condition" in what the company hailed as a "significant milestone" in its attempts to resolve the environmental disaster.