The receivers for Pike River Coal have drawn up a plan to recover the remains of the 29 men who died in the mine.
A report written by PricewaterhouseCoopers was sought by the police, who are in charge of the recovery effort.
Receiver John Fisk says it won't be made public, but it contains a step-by-step plan to make the mine safe to enter.
If the plan fails, he says it will be up to the police to consider whether the mine will be sealed.
A spokesperson for Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee says the plan will be reviewed by four independent experts. No decision is expected until at least the middle of next month.
Two machines brought in to neutralise the atmosphere inside the mine have proven less effective than expected.
Mr Fisk told Morning Report that if even one step of the new plan fails, it will not be able to go ahead.
Pike River Coal was put into receivership on 13 December after a series of explosions at its mine on the West Coast, starting on 19 November.
