Exploratory work in Jurong in eastern China's Jiangsu province, has identified significant new gold resources, the provincial Department of Natural Resources said on Tuesday.

The survey, carried out in the Lunshan area of Jurong by the Third Geological Team of the Jiangsu Provincial Geological Bureau, is part of a provincial geological exploration program.

Of six drill holes completed so far, four have encountered industrial-grade or low-grade gold orebodies with mineralized layers three-to-five meters thick and grades of up to seven grams per ton, according to the statement released on the department's official website.

According to the department, the current phase of exploration could add more than five tons of gold metal resources to China's stocks and lead to the identification of a medium-sized or larger deposit in the area.