This invention is a method of conducting seismic prospecting operations using a drilling tool (1) acting at the bottom of a well (2), which creates very powerful seismic vibrations, transmitting reference signals representing the vibrations of the tool in real time or later, and correlating the seismic signals picked up by a receiving assembly (12) with the reference signals. The reference signals are furnished by sensors (7) in contact with the drill string and at a distance from the down-hole assembly constituted by tool (1) and associated drill collars (4). In order for these reference signals to be truly representative, a damping means (8, 19) and at least one filtering element (20) designed to attenuate to a great degree the multiple reflections in a frequency range useful for seismic prospecting are interposed into the drill string. The invention has application to the making of seismic recordings.