Tropical Storm Alpha has now been identified by the National Hurricane Center

..ALPHA BECOMES THE TWENTY-SECOND NAMED STORM OF THE SEASON AND
BREAKS THE ALL-TIME RECORD FOR THE MOST ACTIVE SEASON ON RECORD...

While neither Wilma nor Alpha currently threaten immediate oil production it is a concern that if this level of activity prevails, then we could be moving into a significantly more serious condition.  If more hurricanes can be anticipated and the National Geographic, in their Katrina Special Edition shows how much hurricane intensity has increased over the past decade, compared with the one preceding it, then putting valuable investments in harm's way is not the path to easy insurance.  We have already heard from folks in the industry that this problem is arising.  Simply put owners must prove, with an acceptable computer model, that the platform/rig can withstand a storm of a given intensity.

This may well change the pattern of drilling in the GOMEX, and possibly elsewhere where hurricanes or typhoons can be anticipated.  It will therefore  act to delay production as this exercise is completed, and when needed structures are strengthened. So, first the insurance industry has to identify where it expects storms and at what intensity in what areas, and then the production industry has to prove that their structures can withstand those storms.  

I knew there was a reason why we were graduating all those lawyers.  Now if only we were graduating enough engineers to give credibility to all those models (grin).