Multi-zone catalytic cracking of crude oils

A method of processing a hydrocarbon feed comprising

• fractionating the hydrocarbon feed into a light stream, a middle stream, and a heavy stream;
• wherein the light stream comprises hydrocarbons boiling at less than 200° C., the middle stream comprises hydrocarbons boiling from 200° C. to 371° C., and the heavy stream comprises hydrocarbons boiling at greater than 371° C.;
• hydrotreating the heavy stream to form a hydrotreated heavy stream;
• and
• feeding the light stream, middle stream, and the hydrotreated heavy stream to a single Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) reaction zone, thereby producing a product stream comprising light olefins;
• wherein
• the light stream is exposed to more severe FCC cracking conditions than the middle stream and the middle stream is exposed to more severe FCC cracking conditions than the hydrotreated heavy stream, within the same FCC reaction zone;
• the single FCC reaction zone is operated in a down-flow configuration;
• and
• the single FCC reaction zone is operated under high severity conditions.