Bi-directional acoustic telemetry system

Abstract

A bi-directional telemetry system for use in a wellbore environment is provided. The bi-directional telemetry system includes a first acoustic telemetry component and a second acoustic telemetry component that is separate from the first acoustic telemetry component. The first acoustic telemetry component comprises a downhole acoustic transmitter disposed in a wellbore and operable to transmit the first acoustic signal and an uphole acoustic receiver. The second acoustic telemetry component comprises an uphole acoustic transmitter operable to transmit the second acoustic signal and a downhole acoustic receiver.

1 . A telemetry system comprising:
 a first acoustic telemetry component to transmit a first acoustic signal from a downhole tool disposed in a wellbore to a surface, the first acoustic telemetry component including a downhole acoustic transmitter disposed in the wellbore to transmit the first acoustic signal by creating waves to propagate in the wellbore, and an uphole acoustic receiver positioned uphole from the downhole acoustic transmitter and to detect the waves transmitted by the downhole acoustic transmitter; and   a second acoustic telemetry component separate from the first acoustic telemetry component to transmit a second acoustic signal from the surface to the downhole tool disposed in the wellbore, the second acoustic telemetry component including an uphole acoustic transmitter to transmit the second acoustic signal by creating waves to propagate in the wellbore, and a downhole acoustic receiver positioned downhole from the uphole acoustic transmitter to detect the waves transmitted by the uphole acoustic transmitter.   
     
     
         2 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled with the uphole acoustic receiver, the controller determining components of the waves created by the downhole acoustic transmitter and determining the acoustic signal transmitted from the downhole acoustic transmitter based on the components of the waves. 
     
     
         3 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and/or the uphole acoustic transmitter is coupled with a conduit disposed in the wellbore through a wellhead, and the downhole acoustic transmitter and/or the uphole acoustic transmitter creates the waves by impacting the conduit. 
     
     
         4 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter each include at least one of the following transmitter components: a piezoelectric transducer, a voice coil, a pinger, a siren, a mud pulse, a phased acoustic array, and/or an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT). 
     
     
         5 . The telemetry system of  claim 4 , wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter include different transmitter components. 
     
     
         6 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the uphole acoustic receiver and the downhole acoustic receiver each include at least one of the following receiver components: an optical vibrometer, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, an optical amplitude system, a microphone, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT), proximity detector, acoustic ranging device, magnetic ranging device, a Hall effect sensor, and/or an accelerometer. 
     
     
         7 . The telemetry system of  claim 6 , wherein the uphole acoustic receiver and the downhole acoustic receiver include different receiver components. 
     
     
         8 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter convert electric signals into the first and second acoustic signals, respectively. 
     
     
         9 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter transmit the corresponding first and/or second acoustic signal by creating the waves to propagate along a conduit disposed in the wellbore. 
     
     
         10 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter transmit the corresponding first and/or second acoustic signal by creating the waves to propagate along an annulus of the wellbore. 
     
     
         11 . The telemetry system of  claim 10 , wherein the waves propagate along the annulus of the wellbore through a fluid. 
     
     
         12 . The telemetry system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter transmit the corresponding first and/or second acoustic signal by creating the waves to propagate along an annulus of a conduit disposed in the wellbore. 
     
     
         13 . The telemetry system of  claim 12 , wherein the waves propagate along the annulus of the conduit through a fluid. 
     
     
         14 . A wellbore system comprising:
 a conduit disposed in a wellbore;   a first acoustic telemetry component to transmit a first acoustic signal from a downhole tool disposed in a wellbore to a surface, the first acoustic telemetry component including a downhole acoustic transmitter disposed in a wellbore to transmit the first acoustic signal by creating waves to propagate in the wellbore, and an uphole acoustic receiver positioned uphole from the downhole acoustic transmitter and to detect the waves transmitted by the downhole acoustic transmitter; and   a second acoustic telemetry component separate from the first acoustic telemetry component to transmit a second acoustic signal from the surface to the downhole tool disposed in the wellbore, the second acoustic telemetry component including an uphole acoustic transmitter to transmit the second acoustic signal by creating waves to propagate in the wellbore, and a downhole acoustic receiver positioned downhole from the uphole acoustic transmitter and to detect the waves transmitted by the uphole acoustic transmitter.   
     
     
         15 . The wellbore system of  claim 14 , further comprising a controller coupled with the uphole acoustic receiver, the controller determining components of the waves created by the downhole acoustic transmitter and determining the acoustic signal transmitted from the downhole acoustic transmitter based on the components of the waves. 
     
     
         16 . The wellbore system of  claim 14 , wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter each include at least one of the following transmitter components: a piezoelectric transducer, a voice coil, a pinger, a siren, a mud pulse, a phased acoustic array, and/or an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT); wherein the downhole acoustic transmitter and the uphole acoustic transmitter include different transmitter components. 
     
     
         17 . The telemetry wellbore system of  claim 14 , wherein the uphole acoustic receiver and the downhole acoustic receiver each include at least one of the following receiver components: an optical vibrometer, a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, an optical amplitude system, a microphone, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT), proximity detector, acoustic ranging device, magnetic ranging device, a Hall effect sensor, and/or an accelerometer. 
     
     
         18 . The wellbore system of  claim 17 , wherein the uphole acoustic receiver and the downhole acoustic receiver include different receiver components. 
     
     
         19 . A method for transmitting and receiving different acoustic signals in a wellbore system, the method comprising:
 transmitting, by a first acoustic telemetry component, a first acoustic signal from a downhole tool disposed in a wellbore to a surface;   transmitting, by a second acoustic telemetry component separate from the first acoustic telemetry component, a second acoustic signal from the surface to the downhole tool.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: utilizing the first acoustic telemetry component and the second acoustic telemetry component in a wellbore operation including at least one of: a fracturing operation; a stimulation operation; a fluid being pumped either through an annulus of a conduit, directly through a string, or a combination of both to prevent a flow of fluid from a reservoir formation; utilizing an isolation tool; a stimulation operation involving a water control or gas control treatment through an inflatable packer;
 utilizing an indexing tool to enter a lateral branch of a multilateral well; a stimulation operation performed after entering a lateral branch of a multilateral well with an indexing tool; obtaining measurements during a treatment and using the measurements to adjust a treatment volume, rate, fluid concentration, fluid type or property in real-time; utilizing a perforating gun; and/or performance of a well test.