UPDATE 1-Entergy reduces Arkansas 2 reactor for work

(Updates with company comment)

NEW YORK, July 3 (Reuters) - Entergy Corp (ETR.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) reduced the 988-megawatt Unit 2 at the Arkansas Nuclear One power station in Arkansas from full power to fix a tube leak associated with the feedwater heater, a spokesman for the plant said Thursday.

The unit was operating at 62 percent power early Thursday, according to a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission report.

The spokesman could not say when the unit would return to full power or how far operators needed to reduce the unit for workers to fix the leak.

He did say the unit was still operating Thursday morning.

Electricity traders guessed the unit would be back to full power within a few days.

The feedwater heater preheats the water from the condenser before it is pumped into the steam generators.

The 1,824 MW Arkansas Nuclear One station is located in Russellville in Pope County about 75 miles (120 km) northwest of Little Rock. There are two units at the station, the 836 MW Unit 1 and Unit 2, which entered service in 1974 and 1980.

Unit 1 continued to operate at full power.