North Stawell Minerals (ASX:NSM) started diamond drilling at Wildwood prospect, the first of two priority targets along the Stawell Gold Corridor in Victoria, according to a Thursday filing with the Australian bourse.

Drilling at Wildwood will focus on an open, down-plunge target on the eastern Wildwood Basalt flank, which has the potential to host gold mineralization similar to the Stawell mine, the filing said.

Meanwhile, drilling at the Darlington prospect will target beneath the open mineralization, according to the filing.

Shares rose nearly 6% in afternoon trade Thursday.