Universal Commences 2019 Drilling on Poplar Property

VANCOUVER, August 20, 2019 - Universal Copper Ltd. ("Universal Copper" or the "Company") (TSXV:UNV) (Frankfurt:3TA1) is pleased to report the commencement of the 2019 drilling campaign at its 62,000 hectare Poplar copper property, southwest of Houston, British Columbia.

The purpose of this program will be to expand the known copper deposit to depth, and the initial drill campaign will encompass a 550 metre vertical hole. Additional holes are in the planning stages.

Universal Copper completed a widely spaced three-hole diamond drill program late in 2018 (See January 22, 2019 News Release). Highlights from the drilling campaign include:

• 18-PC-126 was mineralized from top of bedrock to full depth, averaging 0.365% Cu, 0.015% Mo, 0.145g/t Au and 2.31 g/t Ag over 380.97 metres. The last 30.17 metres contained the strongest mineralization: 0.554% Cu, 0.027% Mo, 0.104g/t Au and 4.44 g/t Ag; indicating the historic IP conclusion of mineralization continuing to depth appears valid.
• 18-PC-127 was mineralized from top of bedrock to full depth, averaging 0.421% Cu, 0.013% Mo, 0.105g/t Au and 2.63 g/t Ag over 264.86 metres, including a 27 metre interval averaging 0.643% Cu, 0.030% Mo, 0.146g/t Au and 2.62 g/t Ag.
• 18-PC-127 intersected 0.330% Cu, 0.002 % Mo, 0.118 g/t Au and 3.46 g/t Ag over 151.10 metres between 122.8 metres and 273.9 metres
• Mineralization consists of both dissemination pyrite and chalcopyrite and stockwork vein to veinlet pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite.
• The following table provides the statistics for the three drill holes. Each hole was sampled from top of bedrock to full depth in intervals ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 metres.

Clive Massey, Universal Copper’s CEO, stated: "We are strongly anticipating confirming the continuation of the Poplar deposit to depth, as indicated by the historic Induced polarization survey (“IP”). The current hole and the additional planned holes should allow us to expand the historic resource and bring it in a current mineral resource category."

About the Poplar

The Poplar copper deposit hosts an historical indicated mineral resource of 131 million tonnes grading 0.31 per cent copper, 0.009 per cent molybdenum, 0.09 gram per tonne gold and 2.39 grams per tonne silver, and a historical inferred mineral resource of 132 million tonnes grading 0.27 per cent Cu, 0.005 per cent Mo, 0.07 g/t Au and 3.75 g/t Ag has been identified through the drilling of 147 historical holes.

These historical indicated and inferred resources were disclosed by Lions Gate Metals Inc. in its technical report dated March 30, 2012, prepared by Gary Giroux, PEng.

To determine the historical resource, a 3-D solid was constructed to constrain the mineralized area, using a 0.1-per-cent-copper-grade shell as a guide. Large internal waste zones were modelled as were some larger-postmineral dikes. Of the total database, 129 drill holes totalling 37,205 metres were within the mineralized zone and were used to estimate the resource. Drill holes were compared with the mineralized solid, and assays were tagged if inside. Copper, molybdenum, gold and silver assays within the mineralized solid were capped at 1.4 per cent Cu, 0.14 per cent Mo, 0.34 g/t Au and 41 g/t Ag, respectively. Five-metre composites were formed and used for variography.

For this estimate and to aid with some preliminary planning, the blocks were reduced to five by five by 10 metres in dimension and were estimated for Cu, Mo, Au and Ag by ordinary kriging. The historical resource is classified as indicated and inferred based on each block's proximity to data and the grade continuity. The historical indicated and historical inferred resource uses the categories set out in Section 1.2 of National Instrument 43-101.

Universal Copper will need to review and verify the historical drilling database and twin a number of the existing drill holes to bring the historical resources current. Investors are cautioned a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and therefore Universal Copper is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.

Qualified Person

R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC) and Universal Copper’s geologist, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.universalcopper.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“Clive Massey”

Clive H. Massey
President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations
Phone: (604) 341-6870

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Universal Copper Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Universal Copper Ltd. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Universal Copper Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

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SOURCE: Universal Copper Ltd.