Oil and gas explorer Bridge Energy has joined AIM and admitted 63.4 million shares to trade on the junior exchange.

Bridge Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production business with activities in the UK and Norway.

Founded in Norway, the company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in May 2010.

The move, which makes it the third company to join AIM in September after Herpes drug business Clinigen and natural resources issue Eland Oil & Gas, gives the company an expected market capitalisation of approximately £75 million.

Bridge Energy is currently producing from the Victoria field in the UK Southern Gas Basin, from the Duart field in the UK Central North Sea and, subject to completion, from the Boa field in the UK Northern North Sea.

In also holds operating and non-operating interests in further discoveries that are planned for development between 2014 and 2017.

Tom Reynolds, CEO of Bridge Energy, comments, ‘I am very pleased to announce the first day of dealings of our shares on AIM; it is another very important step in realising our strategy of becoming an established, mid-cap exploration and production company.

‘I would also like to thank our existing shareholders for their continued support and I look forward to welcoming new investors from the London market.’