OREANDA-NEWS. Andrew Gould, the chairman of BG Group Plc (BG/), joined the board of state-run Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known as Saudi Aramco, according to two people with knowledge of the appointment.

Gould, 66, will serve a three-year term and attended his first board meeting in the summer of this year, the people said, declining to be identified because the appointment hasn’t been made public. Gould replaced David O’Reilly, a former chairman and chief executive officer of Chevron Corp. (CVX), who served on the Aramco board from 2010 until earlier this year, the people said.

Kim Blomley, external communications manager at Reading, England-based BG Group, declined to comment on Gould’s board positions at other companies, replying to a question today by e-mail. Media officials at Aramco headquarters in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, weren’t immediately available when Bloomberg called today for comment.

Aramco is the world’s largest crude oil exporter and is exploring for natural gas in places such as the Red Sea. BG Group operates in more than 20 countries, exploring, producing and transporting gas, including tanker shipments of liquefied natural gas.

Gould was chairman and chief executive officer of Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB), the world’s largest oilfield-services provider, from 2003 until retiring as CEO in 2011 and stepping down as chairman in April 2012, according to Schlumberger’s website.

He also has professional links to educational institutions in Saudi Arabia, according to BG’s website. Gould joined the board of trustees at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, and is on the international advisory board at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran.

Aramco’s 2012 Annual Review shows other board members include Peter Woicke, a former director of the World Bank, Mark Moody-Stuart, the former chairman of Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), and Saudi Minister of Petroleum Ali al-Naimi.