SEATTLE (MCT) — Even as the first offshore drilling in the Arctic in nearly two decades is poised to get under way, Obama administration officials said Tuesday they are preparing to open additional areas of the Arctic Ocean to oil and gas exploration.

Such exploration will be part of a “targeted leasing” strategy that will place a few of the most sensitive areas — including prized wildlife habitat just north of Barrow, Alaska — off-limits but will allow new leasing in 2016 in the Chukchi Sea and 2017 in the Beaufort Sea.