Downhole telemetry system

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include downhole telemetry systems and methods to obtain data indicative of wellbore properties. In one embodiment, a downhole telemetry system includes a plurality of sensor boxes, where each of the plurality of sensor boxes is deployed along a casing of a wellbore. Each sensor box is operable to obtain data indicative of at least one property of the wellbore and to transmit signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore. The downhole telemetry system also includes a downhole tool coupled to a conveyance and deployable in the wellbore. The downhole tool operable to transmit an activation signal to one or more sensor boxes of the plurality of sensor boxes to initiate communication with the one or more sensor boxes, and is also operable to receive signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A downhole telemetry system comprising:
 a plurality of sensor boxes, each of the plurality of sensor boxes deployed along a casing of a wellbore, each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes operable to:
 obtain data indicative of at least one property of the wellbore; and 
 transmit signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore; and 
   a downhole tool coupled to a conveyance and deployable in the wellbore, the downhole tool operable to:
 transmit an activation signal to one or more sensor boxes of the plurality of sensor boxes to initiate communication with the sensor box; and 
 receive signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore. 
   
     
     
         2 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes is further operable to:
 detect signals transmitted from the downhole tool;   determine if the signals transmitted from the downhole tool comprise the activation signal; and   transmit an acknowledgement signal to the downhole tool upon determining that the signals transmitted from the downhole tool comprise the activation signal.   
     
     
         3 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 2 , wherein the acknowledgement signal comprises instructions to establish at least one of an acoustic communication channel, an optical communication channel, and an electromagnetic communication channel with the one or more sensor boxes of the plurality of sensor boxes, and wherein the downhole tool is further operable to establish at least one of the acoustic communication channel, the optical communication channel, the electromagnetic communication channel with the one or more sensor boxes based on the instructions of the acknowledgement signal. 
     
     
         4 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 3 , wherein the downhole tool is further operable to utilize at least one of a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) protocol, a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol, and a time division multiple access (TDMA) protocol to establish the at least one of the acoustic communication channel, the optical communication channel, and the electromagnetic communication channel with the one or more sensor boxes. 
     
     
         5 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 4 , wherein each sensor box of the one or more sensor boxes is operable to transmit the signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore within a different frequency range. 
     
     
         6 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the signals comprise at least one of acoustic signals, electromagnetic signals, optical signals, and photonic signals. 
     
     
         7 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the activation signal is a signal transmitted within a first frequency range, and wherein each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes is further operable to:
 determine a frequency of signals transmitted by the downhole tool; and   transmit signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore upon determining that the frequency of the signals transmitted by the downhole tool is within the first frequency range.   
     
     
         8 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes is further operable to:
 determine a signal intensity of the signals transmitted by the downhole tool; and   transmit signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore upon determining that the signal intensity of the signals transmitted by the downhole tool is greater than a first threshold value.   
     
     
         9 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes comprises at least one of a magnetic field sensor, a conductive sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, and an acoustic impedance sensor, each of said sensors being operable to detect a presence of the downhole tool, and wherein each sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes is further operable to transmit signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore upon detecting the presence of the downhole tool. 
     
     
         10 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the conveyance comprises at least one of a wireline, an electronic line, an optical fiber, and a coiled tubing, and wherein downhole tool is further operable to transmit data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore via the wireline to a surface based electronic device. 
     
     
         11 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool comprises a machine readable medium operable to store data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore. 
     
     
         12 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one property of the wellbore comprises a location of a top of a cement mixture deposited along an annulus between the casing and the wellbore. 
     
     
         13 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of sensors deployed along the annulus, wherein each sensor of the plurality of sensors is operable to:
 detect the at least one property of the wellbore; and   transmit the at least one property of the wellbore to the one or more sensor boxes.   
     
     
         14 . The downhole telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole tool is further operable to determine a presence of one or more leaks in the wellbore. 
     
     
         15 . A method to obtain data indicative of at least one wellbore property, the method comprising:
 deploying a downhole tool to a first location proximate a first sensor box of a plurality of sensor boxes deployed along a casing of a wellbore;   periodically transmitting an activation signal to the first sensor box to initiate acoustic communication with the first sensor box;   detecting a first acknowledgement signal from the first sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes;   establishing a first acoustic communication channel with the first sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes upon detecting the first acknowledgement signal; and   receiving acoustic signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore via the first acoustic channel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 deploying a downhole tool to a second location proximate a second sensor box of a plurality of sensor boxes deployed along a casing of a wellbore;   periodically transmitting an activation signal to the second sensor box to initiate acoustic communication with the second sensor box;   detecting a second acknowledgement signal from the second sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes;   establishing a second acoustic communication channel with the second sensor box of the plurality of sensor boxes upon detecting the second acknowledgement signal; and   receiving acoustic signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore via the second acoustic communication channel.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting the acoustic signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore to a surface based electronic device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein establishing the first acoustic communication channel comprises utilizing at least one of a FDMA, TDMA, CDMA protocol to establish the first acoustic communication channel with the first sensor box. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 periodically transmitting activations signals to a plurality of sensor boxes that are deployed along a casing of a wellbore to initiate acoustic communication with the plurality of sensor boxes;   detecting acknowledgement signals from one or more of the plurality of sensor boxes;   establishing an acoustic communication channel with the one or more of the plurality of sensor boxes;   receiving acoustic signals comprising data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore; and   storing data indicative of the at least one property of the wellbore in a storage component.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , further comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising utilizing at least one of a FDMA, TDMA, CDMA protocol to establish the acoustic communication channel with the one or more of the plurality of sensor boxes.