Dutch shipbuilding group IHC Merwede has won €1bn in contracts to supply six specialised ships for the Brazilian offshore oil industry.

The vessels will be used to lay pipes for the development of oil fields off the Brazilian coast and, combined, are reported to represent the biggest order in the company’s history.

The ships, slated for delivery in 2015 and 2016, will be built at the company’s yards in Krimpen aan den IJssel and Kinderdijk and will provide work for 4,000 people.

The buyers are Swedish maritime engineering group Subsea 7 and Seabras Sapura, a partnership between SapuraKencana and Seadrill.

IHC Merwede is currently working on four other vessels for Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, the company statement said.