Gustav, Ike destroy 60 platforms

But the U.S. Minerals Management Service today reports those structures represented only a small percentage of the region's overall production.

Before the summer storms, the Gulf of Mexico had about 3,800 production platforms accounting for roughly 25 percent of domestic oil output and 15 percent of natural gas.

In its final damage assessment, MMS said the platforms destroyed by Gustav and Ike accounted for about one percent of the Gulf's oil and natural gas production.

The MMS also said 31 platforms with extensive damage could take from three to six months to repair. Another 93 with moderate damage could take one to three months to fix.

The storms shut down Gulf production for several weeks in late August and September.