Acquisition and processing of multi-source broadband marine seismic data

1. A method for acquiring and processing marine seismic data, comprising the steps of:

translating, by a first marine vessel, at least one first seismic source for emitting at least one first seismic signal;

translating, by the first or at least one additional marine vessel, at least one additional seismic source for emitting at least one additional seismic signal;

translating, by any marine vessel at least one streamer comprising at least one first seismic sensor for receiving said first seismic signal and at least one additional seismic sensor for receiving said additional seismic signal, with said at least one first and said at least one additional seismic sensor being arranged at different sensor depths for varying the frequency of suppression in the seismic signals due to ghosting;

collecting information on the locations of said seismic sources and seismic sensors;

arranging said first and additional seismic sources and said first and additional seismic sensors, based at least in part on their respective collected location information, for receiving, over time, at least one said first seismic signal emitted by a said first seismic source and received by a said first seismic sensor and at least one said additional seismic signal emitted by a said additional seismic source and received by a said additional seismic sensor, wherein the source-sensor offset of the emitting said first seismic source and the receiving said first seismic sensor is substantially the same as the source-sensor offset of the emitting said additional seismic source and the receiving said additional seismic sensor, and wherein the common mid-point of the emitting said first seismic source and the receiving said first seismic sensor is substantially the same as the common mid-point of the emitting said additional seismic source and the receiving said additional seismic sensor, and wherein the receiving said first seismic sensor and the receiving said additional seismic sensor are at different sensor depths, the sensor depths at least different enough to enable identification of seismic signals originating from ghosting;

recording the received seismic signals;

gathering the two or more recorded seismic signals having substantially the same source-sensor offset and substantially the same common mid-point and different sensor depths, wherein at least two of the gathered recorded seismic signals are acquired using different seismic sensor depths; and

de-ghosting the gathered two or more recorded seismic signals, whereby a synthesized record with a substantially de-ghosted seismic signal is created.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein actuation of the first and additional seismic sources are selected from the group of: actuating independently, actuating sequentially, and actuating simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first and additional seismic sources are actuated randomly.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least one streamer is translated by the first marine vessel.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one additional streamer is translated by the additional marine vessel.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the additional seismic source is translated ahead or behind the first seismic source along a survey line.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first or additional seismic source is translated parallel and offset to a survey line.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the additional seismic source is translated ahead or behind the first seismic source parallel and offset to the survey line.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first or additional seismic sources are translated at an angle to a survey line.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein de-ghosting comprises brute stacking.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein de-ghosting comprises pre-stack de-convolution, and stacking.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein de-ghosting comprises matched filtering, pre-stack de-convolution, and stacking.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a record of a first or an additional signal is transformed by means of applying reciprocity into a record that would have been obtained if the source and sensor location of said record were interchanged.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprises gathering a plurality of synthesized records having a substantially common mid-point.

15. A method of processing marine seismic data comprising:

gathering two or more recorded seismic signals having substantially the same source-sensor offset and substantially the same common mid-point at different sensor depths, the sensor depths at least different enough to enable identification of seismic signals originating from ghosting; and

de-ghosting the gathered two or more recorded seismic signals, whereby a synthesized record with a substantially de-ghosted seismic signal is created.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein de-ghosting comprises brute stacking.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein de-ghosting comprises pre-stack de-convolution, and stacking.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein de-ghosting comprises matched filtering, pre-stack de-convolution, and stacking.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein a record of a first or an additional signal is transformed by means of applying reciprocity into a record that would have been obtained if the source and sensor location of said record were interchanged.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprises gathering a plurality of synthesized records having a substantially common mid-point.