Blended Source - the Future of Ocean Bottom Seismic Acquisition

Blended or simultaneous sources have had a considerable impact onshore, especially in desert areas, but there has been relatively little activity offshore. We have recently completed a 2200 sq km ocean bottom survey in the Gulf of Mexico using two blended sources which essentially halved the survey duration. In this paper we will review enabling technology, summarise the survey design, explain the de-blending approach we have implemented and present the preliminary data processing results. Additionally we will examine the impact that the combination of de-blended sources and very large ocean bottom spreads can have on survey design.