AUGER TANK APPARATUS FOR WELLBORE CUTTINGS

Abstract

A skid-mounted auger tank apparatus includes a hopper-bottomed receiving tank contiguous with a hopper-bottomed loadout tank, which is typically higher than the receiving tank. The sloped-wall hopper bottom of the receiving tank transitions into an auger trough extending the length of the hopper bottom and into the loadout tank. The receiving tank is positioned adjacent a drilling rig so that raw wellbore cuttings and centrifuge underflow from a drilling rig shale shaker can flow by gravity into the receiving tank. A first horizontal auger disposed in an auger trough in the bottom of the receiving tank moves received cuttings toward and into the loadout tank. A second horizontal auger disposed in an auger trough in the bottom of the loadout tank moves cuttings from the loadout tank toward a sump. An inclined third auger lifts cuttings from the sump for discharge into a transport vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates in general to methods and apparatus for handling wellbore cuttings carried to the surface by drilling fluids circulating downward through a drill string and upward through the wellbore annulus of a well being drilled into a subterranean formation.

BACKGROUND

Oil and gas wells are most commonly drilled using the rotary drilling method. In this method, a drill bit with fixed or rotatable cutting teeth is mounted at the lower end of a drill string, which is a linear assembly of drill pipe, drill collars, and other drilling accessories. The drill string is typically rotated by means of either a rotary table or a top drive apparatus associated with the drilling rig. In some cases, such as when drilling deviated or “directional” wellbores, the drill string is rotated by a downhole motor (commonly referred to as a mud motor) incorporated into the drill string close to the drill bit. Whatever means of rotation is used, the rotation of the drill string causes the drill bit to bore into the ground. Additional sections of drill pipe are added to the drill string as the well is drilled deeper, until the desired wellbore depth is reached. The cutting diameter of the drill bit is larger than the diameter of the drill string components, such that the drilling operation creates an annular space (or “wellbore annulus”) between the drill string and the sides of the wellbore.

During drilling operations, a slurry mixture called drilling fluid (commonly referred to as “drilling mud”) is circulated continuously down through the drill string, out the bottom of the drill string (through nozzles or jets near the cutting teeth of the drill bit) and then back to the surface through the wellbore annulus. Drilling mud serves a number of functions, one of the most important of which is to carry material cut through by the drill bit (commonly called “cuttings”) out of the wellbore and up to the surface, so that the cuttings do not clog the wellbore and impede further drilling. In a typical drilling operation, the mud returning to surface from the wellbore is processed through cleaning equipment, to separate cuttings from the drilling fluid so that the cuttings can be suitably processed and disposed of, and so that the drilling fluid can be cleaned and conditioned for re-use in drilling operations.

Apparatus known as “shale shakers” are commonly used on drill sites in the oil and gas industry during the primary stages of handling and treating cuttings-laden drilling mud returned to the surface from a wellbore. A shale shaker has a sloped but generally horizontal screen bed that can be vibrated in the plane of the screen bed to enhance the separation of wellbore cuttings from drilling mud. The shale shaker is typically incorporated into the drilling rig, with the screen bed approximately at level of the drill floor, which is elevated above the ground surface.

Drilling mud from the wellbore is discharged onto the screen bed, with liquids from the mud passing through the screen (for collection and further treatment), and with raw cuttings from the mud being retained on or in the screen bed. Liquids from the drilling mud pass through a centrifuge, which removes wet fines. The raw cuttings collected on the screen are dumped into a shale bin, which typically is a ground-level enclosure positioned under the shale shaker and having an open side providing access for front-end loaders or other equipment to scoop up the raw cuttings and load them into trucks for transport to an oilfield land fill or other facility for treatment and disposal.

However, raw wellbore cuttings are usually very moist and mucky, particularly for cuttings drilled from clayey soils or other poorly-draining subterranean materials, as they retain considerable amounts of water that does not drain from the cuttings during the shale shaker stage of the mud-treating process. This makes most raw cuttings unstable and difficult or impossible to dispose of in a landfill, because the cuttings will not “stack” due to their high moisture content and will simply slump and spread out over the surface on which they are deposited. In fact, oilfield landfill operators typically will not accept cuttings that contain free water, and regulations in many jurisdictions would prohibit this in any event. Moreover, the mucky raw cuttings are difficult to load into trucks, and if such cuttings are loaded into a conventional truck box, liquids will ooze out of the cuttings and out of the truck box, causing environmental contamination and requiring clean-up.

For these reasons, it is commonly necessary for raw wellbore cuttings to be “amended” prior to being placed in a landfill—and typically prior to being transported to the landfill—by adding sawdust, peat, or other water-absorbent “amendments” to stabilize the cuttings by soaking up moisture from the cuttings, so that the cuttings can be handled and transported more easily, and so that they can be piled or stacked in a landfill like drier bulk materials. This amendment or stabilization phase of cuttings treatment typically has to be carried out at the rig site, thus increasing on-site equipment and space requirements and adding to on-site operational costs.

In view of the foregoing problems with conventional methods for treatment and handling of wellbore cuttings, there is a need for methods and apparatus that will allow wet raw wellbore cuttings to be transported away from the rig site without requiring on-site amendment prior to transport, thus reducing on-site operational costs and generally promoting increased efficiency of well-drilling operations.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In general terms, the present disclosure teaches a skid-mounted auger tank apparatus comprising a hopper-bottomed receiving tank contiguous with a hopper-bottomed loadout tank, which is typically higher than the receiving tank. The apparatus may be positioned on a drilling site such that wellbore cuttings from one or more shale shakers associated with the drilling rig can be discharged by gravity directly into the receiving tank.

The sloped-wall hopper bottom of the receiving tank transitions into an auger trough extending at least substantially the full length of the hopper bottom, and preferably extending well into the loadout tank. The receiving tank is sized so that it can be positioned adjacent to and below and the shale shaker, so that raw wellbore cuttings from the screen bed of the shale shaker and, optionally, the centrifuge underflow can flow into the receiving tank by gravity.

A first horizontal auger is disposed in an auger trough in the bottom of the receiving tank, for moving the cuttings toward and into the loadout tank in which they can accumulate. A second horizontal auger is disposed in an auger trough in the bottom of the loadout tank, for moving cuttings accumulated in the loadout tank toward a sump. A vertically-inclined third auger has in inlet end disposed in the sump, and a discharge end for loading cuttings into a transport vehicle.

Accordingly, in a first aspect the present disclosure teaches an auger tank apparatus comprising a hopper-bottomed receiving tank having a lower region defining a generally horizontal receiving tank auger trough; a hopper-bottomed loadout tank having a lower region defining a generally horizontal loadout tank auger trough, with the loadout tank being spatially contiguous with the receiving tank; a sump contiguous with the loadout tank auger trough; a generally horizontal receiving tank auger disposed within the receiving tank auger trough, and operable to convey overlying material toward the receiving tank; a generally horizontal loadout tank auger disposed within the loadout tank auger trough, and operable to convey overlying material toward the sump; and an elongate loadout auger having an inlet end and a discharge end, with the loadout auger being oriented at a vertical angle with its inlet end disposed within the sump and with its discharge end elevated above the loadout tank and extending beyond the perimeter of the loadout tank.

In alternative embodiments, the receiving tank auger trough may be contiguous with the sump; the sump may be located proximal to the juncture between the receiving tank and the loadout tank or located wholly with the loadout tank; and the receiving tank auger trough and the receiving tank auger may extend into the loadout tank.

The top of the loadout tank is preferably but not necessarily higher than the top of the receiving tank.

Either or both of the receiving tank and the loadout tank may be open-top tanks, or either or both of them may be covered by floor structures. When provided, the floor structures over the receiving tank and the loadout tank will preferably be covered with grating, which may include hinged sections for access to the tanks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of an auger tank apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures, in which numerical references denote like parts, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of an auger tank apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the auger tank apparatus in FIG. 1, illustrating hinged sections of the floor over the receiving tank.

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-section through the loadout tank of the apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-section through the receiving tank of the apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section through the auger tank of the apparatus in FIG. 1, schematically illustrating one alternative arrangement of the augers and sump.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view illustrating the auger tank apparatus of FIG. 1 situated on a drilling site adjacent mud tanks and shale shakers associated with a drilling rig.

BRIEF SUMMARY

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the present disclosure teaches an auger tank apparatus 100 preferably mounted on a skid 10 and comprising a first rectilinear tank (or “cuttings receiving tank”) 20 having a sloped-wall hopper bottom transitioning downward into an auger trough 25 extending substantially the full length of the receiving tank hopper. Receiving tank 20 is sized so that it can be positioned adjacent to and below the shale shaker(s) associated with a drilling rig, to facilitate gravity flow of raw wellbore cuttings from the screen bed of the shale shaker as well as underflow from the centrifuge directly into receiving tank 20.

Receiving tank 20 preferably has a grated floor 24 covering the receiving hopper, optionally with hinged grating sections 24A, 24B that can be opened up to facilitate discharge of cuttings from the shale shaker into receiving tank 20. The arrangement of the hinged grating sections in the illustrated embodiment is by way of non-limiting example only; the sizes, configurations, and locations of hinged grating sections will be a matter of design choice to suit particular job requirements. In the illustrated embodiment, the elevation of grated floor 24 generally coincides with the top of the sloped walls of the hopper bottom; however, in alternative embodiments receiving tank 20 could have vertical sidewalls extending upward from the tops of the hopper walls, with floor 24 coinciding with the tops of the vertical sidewalls.

Auger tank apparatus 100 also includes a second hopper-bottomed tank (or “cuttings loadout tank”) 30 that is generally aligned with receiving tank 20, and configured such that the hopper of loadout tank 30 is structurally and spatially contiguous with the hopper of receiving tank 20. However, loadout tank 30 preferably extends to a greater height than receiving tank 20, such as by providing loadout tank 30 with vertical sidewalls 32 upward from the tops of the hopper bottom walls (or, in embodiments in which receiving tank 20 has similar vertical sidewalls, by providing loadout tank 30 with sidewalls 32 higher than those of receiving tank 20). Preferably, loadout tank 30 has a grated floor 34 with an elevation generally coinciding with the top of its sidewalls 32, and higher than floor 24 over receiving tank 20. Loadout tank floor 34 is preferably provided with suitable handrails 38 as illustrated.

The sloped walls of loadout tank 30 transition downward into an auger trough 35 which feeds into a sump 80 of any functionally suitable configuration.

Although receiving tank 20 and loadout tank 30 as illustrated in the Figures are of rectilinear configuration in plan view, this is not essential, and alternative embodiments of auger tank apparatus 100 having a receiving tank and/or a loadout tank of non- rectilinear configuration are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Auger tank apparatus 100 incorporates three augers, generally as described below:

• • 1. A generally horizontal first auger 40 (“receiving tank auger”) disposed within receiving tank auger trough 25, and operable to move cuttings from receiving tank 20 toward loadout tank 30;
  • 2. A generally horizontal second auger 50 (“loadout tank auger”) disposed within loadout tank auger trough 35, and operable to move cuttings in loadout tank 30 toward and into sump 80; and
  • 3. An elongate loadout auger 60 having an inlet end 61 and a discharge end 62 and extending angularly upward above and beyond the top of loadout tank 30, with its inlet end 61 disposed within sump 80 and with its discharge end 62 extending beyond loadout tank 30, such that cuttings conveyed into sump 80 by will feed into inlet end 61 of loadout auger 60 and can be discharged into a suitable transport vehicle positioned under discharge end 62 of loadout auger 60.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, loadout auger 60 extends angularly upward through an opening in floor grating 34 covering the top of loadout tank 30, and in plan view is oriented parallel to loadout tank auger 50. However, this is by way of non-limiting example only. In alternative embodiments, loadout auger 60 could pass through the vertical endwall of loadout tank 30, or it could exit loadout tank 30 through a sloped or vertical sidewall of loadout tank 30.

Augers 40, 50, and 60 will be of a type suitable for conveying moisture-laden raw wellbore cuttings. Testing has shown that augers designed for conveying sand typically will work for this purpose, including certain specially designed augers manufactured by Grit Industries Inc. of Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada. However, embodiments of auger tank apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure are not limited or restricted to the use of these or any other particular make or type of auger suitable for moving raw wellbore cuttings.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates one arrangement of receiving tank auger 40, loadout tank auger 50, and loadout auger 60, with both receiving tank auger 40 and loadout tank auger 50 feeding into sump 80. However, this is by way of non-limiting example only. It has been found that the operation of receiving tank auger 40 can be effective to move cuttings into loadout tank 30 such that they will accumulate to a significant height within loadout tank 30. This may happen even if receiving tank auger 40 does not extend far into loadout tank 30, but the efficient transfer of cuttings from receiving tank 20 and the accumulation of same in loadout tank 30 will be increasingly enhanced as receiving tank auger 40 extends further into loadout tank 30.

Accordingly, in one variant embodiment of auger tank apparatus 100, augers 40, 50, and 60 are arranged generally as illustrated in FIG. 5, with augers 40 and 50 and their respective auger troughs 25 and 35 feeding into sump 80, but instead of being close to a notional demarcation line DL at the juncture between receiving tank 20 and loadout tank 30 as shown in FIG. 5, sump 80 is located well into loadout tank 30. In another variant embodiment, receiving tank auger trough 25 and loadout tank auger trough 35 are parallel but laterally displaced from each other, with loadout tank auger trough 35 still discharging into sump 80 (which may be provided in any functionally suitable location), but with receiving tank auger trough 25 and receiving tank auger 40 extending a substantial distance into loadout tank 30 (and, in a particularly preferred embodiment, substantially the full length of loadout tank 30) and by-passing sump 80, in order to optimize the efficiency of the transfer of cuttings from receiving tank 20 into loadout tank 30 and the accumulation and build-up of cuttings therein.

In the illustrated embodiments, receiving tank auger 40 is disposed within a receiving tank auger trough 25 formed in the bottom of receiving tank 20, and loadout tank auger 60 is disposed within a loadout tank auger trough 35 formed in the bottom of loadout tank 30. However, it is not essential for these augers to be disposed within distinct auger troughs. In alternative embodiments, either or both of receiving tank 20 and loadout tank 30 could be formed without auger troughs, in which case the corresponding augers would simply rest in the hopper bottoms, with sump 80 being formed into and extending below the hopper bottoms such that one or both of receiving tank auger 40 and loadout tank auger 50 discharges into sump 80. In one particular variant embodiment, the hopper bottom of loadout tank 30 may be configured to allow receiving tank auger 25 to extend into loadout tank 30, parallel and adjacent to loadout tank auger 50 along part or the full length thereof, with only loadout tank auger 50 feeding into sump 80.

During typical loadout operations, loadout tank auger 50 and loadout auger 60 will be operated in conjunction with each other, with loadout auger 60 conveying material into sump 80 to feed inlet end 61 of loadout auger 60. Receiving tank auger 40 will not necessarily in operation during loadout operations, given that the flow direction of receiving tank auger 40 will typically be opposite to the flow direction of loadout tank auger 50, as may be seen from the flow arrows in FIG. 5. However, depending on the particular configuration and layout of receiving tank auger 40 it may be possible and advantageous in certain circumstances for receiving tank auger 40 to be in operation during the simultaneous operation of loadout tank auger 50 and loadout auger 60, such as by way of non-limiting example when receiving tank auger 40 feeds into sump 80 as shown in FIG. 5,

In other alternative embodiments, auger tank apparatus 100 could incorporate a two receiving tank augers, with one receiving tank auger discharging into sump 80 (for enhancing the rate of flow of cuttings for feeding loadout auger 60), and with the other receiving tank auger by-passing sump 80 and extending into loadout tank 30 to enhance the transfer of cuttings from receiving tank 20 into loadout tank 30.

Auger tank apparatus 100 may incorporate an operator's shack 70 for housing auger controls and other equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, operator's shack 70 is incorporated into apparatus 100 in an area proximal to the juncture between receiving tank 20 and loadout tank 30, with suitable access stairs 72 from ground up to shack 70 and to the grated floors 24 and 34, respectively, of receiving tank 20 and loadout tank 30. However, this is by way of example only. In alternative embodiments, an operator's shack or analogous control facility could be provided in a location remote from the tank apparatus.

FIG. 6 provides an exemplary schematic illustration of how auger tank apparatus 100 may be deployed on a well site to receive cuttings from a wellbore being drilled by a drilling rig 200. In accordance with common drilling practice, one or more mud tanks 210 are sited adjacent to rig 200, with one or more shale shakers 220 being disposed above mud tanks 210 for receiving a flow 205 of drilling mud circulating out of the wellbore. Apparatus 100 is sited with the end of receiving tank 20 closely adjacent to mud tanks 210 and shale shakers 220. Raw cuttings from the drilling mud flow down chutes 225 from the screen beds of shale shakers 220 into receiving tank 20 of auger tank apparatus 100, with selected sections of receiving tank floor 24 being opened as may be necessary or desirable for this purpose. Drilling mud liquids passing through the screen beds of shale shakers 220 may be conveyed by a suitable pipe or other means (not shown) to a centrifuge 230 for removal of wet fines. Optionally, the centrifuge underflow, containing removed wet fines, can be introduced into receiving tank 20 by means of a suitable chute or pipe 235 discharging through an opening in receiving tank floor 24 or through a sidewall or endwall of receiving tank 20.

FIG. 6 illustrates auger tank apparatus 100 deployed on a well site with the end of receiving tank 20 positioned adjacent to shale shakers 225; i.e., with the flow of cuttings from shale shaker chutes 225 being generally parallel to receiving tank auger 30. However, this is not essential, and in other arrangements could be sited in a different relationship to shale shakers 225. By way of non-limiting example, auger tank apparatus 100 could alternatively be positioned 90 degrees to the position shown in FIG. 6, such that shale shaker chutes 225 are adjacent to a sidewall of receiving tank 20.

Having regard to the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that auger tank apparatus 100 facilitates the collection of raw, unstabilized wellbore cuttings from a wellsite and the transport of same away from the wellsite for further treatment and/or disposal, without the cuttings needing to be mixed with sawdust or peat or other “amendments” or to pass a paint filter test (to test for free liquids and to check for compliance with related environmental regulations) prior to loading onto a transport vehicle. This desirable result is achieved by augering the raw cuttings directly into special sealed end-dump truck units, by means of loadout auger 60. Accordingly, on-site labor, equipment, and facilities requirements associated with conventional cutting amendment processes are effectively eliminated. Moreover, raw cuttings (which can and commonly do contain environmentally harmful substances) do not contact the ground surface, unlike in the conventional case where cuttings from the shale shaker are deposited into an earth-floored shale bin.

Auger tank apparatus as disclosed herein may be used advantageously as a component of a comprehensive wellbore cuttings treatment and disposal process. The raw cuttings can be transported to an off-site treatment facility where they can undergo various treatment processes, such as (but not limited to) centrifuging to remove excess moisture, and hot water bath treatments to recover crude oil or bitumen that commonly adheres to cuttings (in amounts as high as 35% or more by weight). Water removed from the cuttings can be disposed of in injection wells or can undergo further treatment to remove contaminants prior to disposal. The solid materials remaining after dewatering and removal of petroleum substances can be readily disposed of in appropriate landfill facilities. Because the cuttings have not been “amended” and thus bulked up by the addition of materials such as sawdust or peat, they take up considerably less space in the landfill than conventional amended cuttings, thus providing a further environmental benefit over conventional cuttings treatment methods.

It will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications to embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may be devised without departing from the scope and teaching of the present teachings, including modifications which may use equivalent structures or materials hereafter conceived or developed. It is to be understood that the scope of the claims appended hereto should not be limited by the preferred embodiments described and illustrated herein, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole. It is also to be understood that the substitution of a variant of a claimed element or feature, without any substantial resultant change in functionality, will not constitute a departure from the scope of the disclosure.

In this patent document, any form of the word “comprise” is to be understood in its non-limiting sense to mean that any item following such word is included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one such element. Any use of any form of the terms “connect”, “attach”, or any other term describing an interaction between elements is not meant to limit the interaction to direct interaction between the subject elements, and may also include indirect interaction between the elements such as through secondary or intermediary structure. Relational terms such as “horizontal and “vertical” are not intended to denote or require absolute mathematical or geometrical precision. Accordingly, such terms are to be understood as denoting or requiring substantial precision only (e.g., “substantially horizontal”) unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

Wherever used in this document, the terms “typical” and “typically” are to be understood in the sense of representative or common usage or practice, and are not to be understood as implying invariability or essentiality.

Claims

1. An auger tank apparatus comprising:

(a) a hopper-bottomed receiving tank having a lower region defining a generally horizontal receiving tank auger trough;

(b) a hopper-bottomed loadout tank having a lower region defining a generally horizontal loadout tank auger trough, said loadout tank being contiguous with the receiving tank;

(c) a sump contiguous with the loadout tank auger trough;

(d) a generally horizontal receiving tank auger disposed within the receiving tank auger trough, and operable to convey overlying material toward the loadout tank;

(e) a generally horizontal loadout tank auger disposed within the loadout tank auger trough, and operable to convey overlying material toward the sump; and

(f) an elongate loadout auger having an inlet end and a discharge end, said loadout auger being oriented at a vertical angle with said inlet end disposed within the sump and with said discharge end elevated above the loadout tank and extending beyond the perimeter of the loadout tank.

2. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving tank auger trough is contiguous with the sump.

3. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the sump is located proximal to the juncture between the receiving tank and the loadout tank.

4. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the sump is located wholly with the loadout tank.

5. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving tank auger trough and the receiving tank auger extend into the loadout tank and bypass the sump.

6. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the top of the loadout tank is higher than the top of the receiving tank.

7. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving tank and the loadout tank are open-top tanks.

8. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving tank and the loadout tank have grating-covered floors.

9. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the grating-covered floor over the receiving tank has a plurality of hinged sections.

10. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the receiving tank is adapted to receive a flow of wet fines from a centrifuge associated with a shale shaker.

11. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the discharge end of the loadout auger extends through the open top of the loadout tank.

12. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the discharge end of the loadout auger extends through an opening in the floor over the loadout tank.

13. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the discharge end of the loadout auger extends through an end wall of the loadout tank.

14. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the discharge end of the loadout auger extends through a sidewall of the loadout tank.

15. An auger tank apparatus comprising:

(a) a hopper-bottomed receiving tank;

(b) a hopper-bottomed loadout tank contiguous with the receiving tank;

(c) a sump formed into and extending below the hopper bottom of the loadout tank;

(d) a generally horizontal receiving tank auger disposed in the bottom of the receiving tank, and operable to convey overlying material toward the loadout tank;

(e) a generally horizontal loadout tank auger disposed in the bottom of the loadout tank, and operable to convey overlying material toward the sump; and

(f) an elongate loadout auger having an inlet end and a discharge end, said loadout auger being oriented at a vertical angle with said inlet end disposed within the sump and with said discharge end elevated above the loadout tank and extending beyond the perimeter of the loadout tank.

16. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the sump is located proximal to the juncture between the receiving tank and the loadout tank.

17. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the sump is located wholly with the loadout tank.

18. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the receiving tank auger is configured to discharge into the sump.

19. An auger tank apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the receiving tank auger extends into the loadout tank and bypasses the sump.