AMERICAN oil magnate Harold Hamm has been ordered to pay nearly US$1 billion to his former wife in one of the largest-ever U.S. divorce judgments, according to a court filing.

    In an 80-page ruling following a nine-week divorce trial that ended last month, Oklahoma Special Judge Howard Haralson ruled that Continental Resources chief executive officer Hamm should pay his ex-wife a total of US$995.5 million.

    Although the award could make Sue Ann Hamm, 58, one of the 100 wealthiest women in the United States, according to Forbes, it is far smaller than the amount her lawyers sought and does not require Harold Hamm to sell shares of Continental.

    He holds 68 percent of the firm’s shares. During the trial, Sue Ann Hamm’s lawyers had asked Haralson to split a marital estate they estimated to be worth at least US$17 billion, tied up in Continental shares.

    Haralson’s ruling is subject to appeal, but if accepted by both parties it would allow Hamm to put a contentious and time-consuming divorce behind him and to remain the controlling shareholder of one of America’s most successful oil companies.

    “This private matter has not, and will not have any impact or effect on the company’s business or operations,” Oklahoma City-based Continental said.

    Sue Ann Hamm’s legal team said it would be “evaluating her options.”

    Harold Hamm’s Continental stake is now worth around US$13.9 billion, down from over US$18 billion before the trial.

    The Hamms wed in 1988 and had no prenuptial agreement. For years, Sue Ann Hamm was also an executive at Continental.

    Some of the largest U.S. divorce settlements have been kept private, but the Hamm judgment is among the biggest on record.

    In a 2010 divorce settlement, casino magnate Steve Wynn agreed to transfer 11 million shares in Wynn Resorts, then worth US$741 million, to his ex-wife Elaine.

    Judge Haralson ordered Hamm, 68, to pay his ex-wife about one-third of the funds, or US$322.7 million, by the end of 2014, the filing says.

    Hamm will be required to pay the rest of the judgment, or US$650 million, in installments worth at least US$7 million per month.

    Haralson’s ruling may come as a relief to some of Continental’s other shareholders, who had worried that a multi-billion-dollar award could force Hamm to sell a major chunk of the company quickly, potentially depressing the value of the shares or eroding his control of the firm.

    Among the assets that will go to Sue Ann Hamm are the couple’s US$17.5 million ranch in Carmel, California, and US$4.7 million home in Oklahoma City. (SD-Agencies)