The present invention relates to a strain of Providencia rettgeri (Providencia rettgeri) L1 that efficiently degrades petroleum and its application. The strain was preserved in the General Microbiology Center (CGMCC) of the China Committee for the Collection of Microbial Cultures on September 26, 2018, address : Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 3, Courtyard No. 1, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, strain collection number CGMCC No.16526. The present invention discovers for the first time that the bacterial strain of Providencia (Providencia) has the function of degrading petroleum hydrocarbons, and has differential selectivity to the degradation of four components in petroleum, especially for normal alkanes, one of the petroleum components. It has a very significant degradation effect, can be applied to the treatment of petroleum pollutants, and has broad application prospects.