Downhole tool protection during wellbore cementing

A wellbore system, comprising:

• a casing string arranged within a wellbore and an annulus being between the casing string and the wellbore;
• a casing mandrel having a body arranged within the casing string between upper and lower portions of the casing string;
• a downhole tool operatively coupled to an outer surface of the body such that the downhole tool is disposed within the annulus;
• a tool port comprising at least a first conduit and a second conduit fluidly and structurally intersecting the first conduit, the tool port defined in the body and extending between an interior of the body and the downhole tool, and the tool port being configured to place the downhole tool in fluid communication with the interior of the body;
• and
• at least one degradable plug disposed within the tool port to prevent wellbore debris from obstructing fluid communication between the interior and the downhole tool, wherein the at least one degradable plug degrades over time.

A method, comprising:

• arranging a casing string within a wellbore, the casing string having a casing mandrel arranged therein between upper and lower portions of the casing string;
• arranging at least one degradable plug within at least one of a first conduit and a second conduit of a tool port defined in a body of the casing mandrel, the second conduit fluidly and structurally intersecting the first conduit, and the tool port extending between an interior of the body and a downhole tool operatively coupled to an outer surface of the body;
• securing the casing string and the casing mandrel within the wellbore with a cement composition;
• preventing the cement composition from entering the tool port with the at least one degradable plug;
• and
• degrading the at least one degradable plug over time to establish fluid communication between the interior of the body and the downhole tool.